Secrets Undone
by QueenH
Summary: Crossover with Harry Potter. Jack has a secret past that puts his friends in jeopardy. Final chapters added. Story Complete.
1. Intro

Title: Secrets Undone

Author: QueenH

Fandom: crossover Harry Potter and Stargate SG-1

Rating: PG-13, some mild language

Warnings: None that I can think of at the moment.

Spoilers: Tons for HP books 3, 4, and 5

Summary: Jack's secret past puts everyone in jeopardy.

Distribution: ; anywhere else just ask

Feedback: Always appreciated.

Notes: This story is an answer to Aussie Mel's challenge to cross HP and SG-1. Thanks go out to my beta Becky. You're help was invaluable.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in either the Harry Potter books or Stargate SG-1, nor am I making any money from this. If you sue me you'll get nothing but the pocket lint in my jeans, because I'm a poor and lowly college student


	2. Chapter 1

An owl screeched from the treetops above them as they ran through the cold night. His heart was racing as he pushed himself forward. It was already too late; in his heart he was sure of it. There was no way he could stop what had happened, and no one had been willing to believe him when he tried to warn them. Silently he cursed them all, if only they had listened. None of this would have happened. Lily and James would still be alive, and their son wouldn't be in danger.

Another screech and he look over at his companion as they made it to the edge of the small village. It was almost midnight and every witch and wizard in the country would be looking for them by now. He was certain that it was only a matter of time before they caught up with them. Splitting up was their only option now. Slowing to a stop both men rested themselves against a tree stump and tried to catch their breath. It was only then that he noticed the burning sensation on his skin, and he carefully lifted his robe away and looked at the glowing mark on his forearm. The dark mark was still burning fiercely, but some of the pain was beginning to fade. Shaking himself back to reality he turned to his companion.

"Sirius we have no choice. They'll be looking for both of us. We have to get as far away from here as possible." Sirius Black looked up from his seat on the tree stump and furiously shook his head at the man beside him.

"No Jack! I won't leave until Peter is dead."

"Peter can wait. Every witch and wizard in this part of world will be looking for you. They think you're responsible. Albus and the others will find you if you go back. No one but us knows that Peter betrayed them." Jack rested his left hand on Sirius' shoulder and the other man sighed.

"I can't just let this go. He has to pay for what he's done. James and Lily are dead because of him! He has to pay for it."

There were tears forming in both men's eyes, and Jack nodded. "I know, and he will, but now isn't the time. First we have to get you safe and then we'll come back for that sniveling little rat. I promise you. He'll pay for what he's done. I swear it."

Sirius shook his head as the tears began to fall. "How could we let this happen? It's all my fault. If I had just stayed their secret keeper, none of this would have happened. They'd still be alive, and Harry would be safe. It shouldn't have happened this way. They should have lived."

Jack pulled the other man into his arms as he wept. The pain was great for both of them, and Jack knew how deeply this had affected Sirius. He felt for the man in his arms, but he also knew that if they didn't start moving again, they'd never outrun those that were hunting them.

"Don't blame yourself, Padfoot. You did what you thought was best. James knew that or he and Lily would never have agreed to it. We had no way of knowing that Peter was working with Voldemort."

At the mention of the name, Sirius cringed and grit his teeth in pure anger. "At least one good thing did come of all this...Voldemort is gone."

"Hopefully for good, but if we don't get moving we'll soon be caught."

Sirius sighed and shook his head in agreement. "You're right. We'll have to split up. I have friends in Paris. If I can make it there, I'll be safe. Where will you go?"

"Don't worry about me. I'll probably head back to the States. It's the safest place for a wizard like me. Anyway, no one will look for me there. Once you get to Paris, you should make your way there too. I know plenty of places you can hide."

Sirius smiled and nodded. "I'll think about it. I just hope Harry will be alright."

"He will be. Albus will make sure of it. I get the feeling that man knows something the rest of us don't about that child."

"You may be right." Sirius paused and lowered his trying to find the words to tell his friend goodbye. "I can't thank you enough for helping me."

"Don't mention it. You and James were my friends. Two of the only friends I've had here."

"We should have listened to you. No one believed you when you warned us all those years ago. No one believed you had the gift."

Jack laughed softly. "I didn't believe I had the gift, but that's all in the past. We have to move on. It's time to start over. Hopefully we'll all be able to."

"I pray you're right, my friend."

With that both men parted ways and headed into the night. It was the last night they would see one another for many years.

With a jolt Jack O'Neill launched himself out of bed and tussled with the sheets as he hit the floor. It took a moment to gather himself and realize where he was. Once he did, he looked around the room, and his eyes settled on the window on the far right of the room. Tapping at the glass he could see the small frame of a spotted owl. In its beak was an envelope and Jack slowly stood up and walked towards the window. Before opening the window he checked to see if anyone was watching outside and then quickly opened the window to let the creature inside.

"What have you got there, fella?" Cautiously, he ran his hand over the owl's back feathers and plucked the envelope from its beak.

The playful creature nipped at his fingers and Jack let it climb on his arm and he walked with it down the steps to the kitchen. He placed the envelope on the counter and reached into the cabinet for a bowl. He left a bowl of water and some cereal for the owl to eat and curiously went back to find out what was in the envelope.

_J, _

_I hope this letter finds you well. If you haven't heard, the boy is about to begin his second term at Hogwarts. I had truly hoped that he would not be as insufferable as his father was. But I was wrong; I fear that he may actually be worse. He and the Weasley boy are quite the pair. If last year is any indication, we may yet have to close the school down for their tomfoolery. Nevertheless, I wish you well in whatever you may be up to. Knowing you it is probably something our Slytherin brethren will be proud of. You always were the one that everyone looked up to, even Lucius. Well, I must be off. Must ready my lessons for the coming term. Take care, my brother._

_Severus_

It had been months since he last heard from anyone in the wizard in world, but he was surprised that Severus was able to find him. In addition to being the best he'd ever seen at potion making, he also been a smash at finding anything that others couldn't.

Smiling he quickly reached for a pen and small piece of parchment he kept in a drawer by the counter and began to scribble a reply. Once he was finished he carefully placed it in the owl's beak and set the bird into the night sky.

A few hours later he was seated on his couch as memories of his past began to flood through him. A sense of regret and longing passed over him, and a tear rolled down his cheek. He'd given up everything he had, and lost so much more, and in the end he'd gained a knowledge he could hardly imagine. Part of him wasn't sure if any of it was really worth, but a bigger part of him knew it was for things he'd seen and learned. He only wished that those he cared about could know the truth one day.

The next morning came quickly and Jack was hard pressed to make it to the mountain on time. He'd barely gotten to the gate when the airman there told him that General Hammond about to send a search party out looking for him. With a groan he thanked the soldier for the warning and did his best to slip into the base unnoticed. Unfortunately, that wasn't to be the case. Before he reached his office, the General caught him on the elevator.

"Where have you been, Colonel? You were supposed to be here for a meeting with Selmak and members of the Tok'ra high council over an hour ago."

"I'm sorry sir. My alarm clock broke and I got here as fast as I could."

"That's no excuse, son. I expect more from my second in command."

"Yes sir." O'Neill lowered his head like a school boy about to receive punishment from his principal and the General just shook his head as the elevator stopped.

"We'll talk about this later. Right now I want you in that conference room."

With a crisp salute Jack stepped out of the elevator and headed down the hall towards the conference room. When he entered the rest of his team along with five members of the Tok'ra high council were waiting for him with rather perturbed looks on their faces.

"It's good of you to join us, Jack." Selmak smirked and Jack tried hard not to roll his eyes as he eased his way towards the table and took a seat.

"Sorry about my tardiness. Rain messed up my electricity last night." The others just shook their heads curiously at him.

The meeting lasted for what seemed like hours and Jack was ready to pry his eyes out in order to keep them from closing from boredom. He listened to both Carters and Daniel go on and on about possibilities for their alliance and ways to go after the system lords, but his mind was still on the note he'd received and he was trying hard not to think of the past as listened to the others speak.

Without realizing it Jack began to mutter the words to an old spell and he watched as his pen began to roll across towards him and then slightly lift of the table. Surprised at his actions he slammed his fist down on the pen and the entire room turned to stare in his direction.

"Um, sorry. Continue." He tired to look as innocent as possible, but he was pretty sure no one in the room was buying his act.

Luckily his little distraction made the group realize they were in need of a short recess, and they adjourned for lunch. As they began to leave, Daniel reached for Jack's arm and pulled him aside.

"What is it with you today, Jack?" Jack could see the concern in his friend's eyes and he sighed.

"I just have a lot on my mind. Let me get some food in me, and I'll be ready to go."

Daniel shook his head. "I really hope so, this is really important."

"I know. I know. Big bad snakes, we save the world...yadda, yadda, yadda...I got it." Rolling his eyes Jack stepped away from Daniel and walked out the door, leaving a very confused and concerned archeologist in his wake.

Back at Hogwarts, Severus Snape was sitting at his desk with quill in hand preparing his lessons for his second year potions class when a cooing sound caught his attention. He looked up and saw a familiar owl coming towards him. The creature stopped at the edge of his desk and dropped a piece of parchment there. Turning around he flapped his wings and few tail feathers flittered to the floor as he took off back to the owlery.

Curiously, the potion's master picked up the parchment and took a closer look. He smiled rather uncharacteristically as he read the contents.

_Sev,_

_It's good to hear from you. Leave it to a git like you to find me when I'm trying to hide from the rest of the world. You're right about Lucius looking up to me, but that was only because I was taller than him. That pompous windbag was too proud to give anyone credit for anything. I heard he went and married Narcissa. Those two were a match made in hell if I ever saw one. I honestly feel sorry for their son. He never had a chance. Oh well, thanks for the news. As for what I'm up to, you'd never believe me if I told you. You really should see some of the things I've seen. I have to admit I do miss the magic sometimes, but I've managed to keep myself in practice though. Hopefully the Ministry hasn't caught on. Well, I'll leave you to readying your lessons. I'm sure the boy won't give you too much trouble. Honestly, I can hardly believe anyone could be worse than James was. Here's hoping Slytherin wins the house cup this year. Take care, brother._

_J._

Carefully, he tucked the note in the pocket of his robes and shook his head. It had been years since he'd seen his friend, the man he thought of as a brother. He knew the reasons that he was in hiding and he wished desperately that there was someway he could undo the mess that had caused it all, but he knew there wasn't. Seeing the young Potter boy only served to remind of all that had been lost all those years before, and it left him with a sense of longing and disappointment. Shaking his head he looked back at the lesson plan on his desk and took his quill in hand again and slowly began the task he had started earlier.


	3. Chapter 2

One year later...

As they stepped through the stargate the first thing they saw were the trees. They were abnormally large willow-like trees that swayed in the breeze and almost seemed to sing as they moved closer to them.

"Goodie, more lovely trees." Jack's sarcasm seemed to lighten the mood for the rest of the team as they trudged along the pathway leading away from the gate.

"Sir, is it me or do these trees seemed to be getting louder?"

The Colonel paused and listened for a moment and then slowly nodded. "I think you might be right. It's almost as though the trees are-"

He was cut off by Teal'c as the jaffa stopped in his tracks. "There are people approaching."

Jack motioned for Daniel to take the lead as a small group of natives moved towards them. "It's your show Dannyboy, just don't get us into any trouble."

"As I recall Jack, the last planet we gated to, you were the one the touched the damned alter and got us put in a jail cell for three days."

Rolling his eyes the leader of SG-1just turned his focus to the impending crowd and readied his P-90 for whatever was to come next.

"Greetings. Are you travelers from the great circle?" A rather round, balding man stepped forward and bowed his head at the four team members and as he brought it back up his gaze settled on Daniel.

"Yes, we are peaceful explorers. I'm Daniel Jackson, this is Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter and Teal'c."

Before he could say anymore the other natives stepped forward and took hold of each member of SG-1 and led them down the pathway to their village.

"This is Kessia. Our village is one of many in this region. We welcome you as our guests." The balding man that had introduced himself as Oltorf led the team to what Daniel could only guess was a temple of some sort.

Once inside Oltorf had several of the villagers fetch food and drink for the travelers and offered them a place to rest on the small benches that were in the building.

"What is this place?" Daniel asked as he took a seat next to Oltorf.

"This is the hall of light. It is here that the village and its people get their power and strength."

O'Neill and his team began to ask questions as they surveyed the room and its contents. After a few minutes they began to remove their packs and jackets so they could partake of the food that was being offered to them. As they did this O'Neill became acutely aware of someone watching him and he turned to see Oltorf glaring at him from a few feet away. The balding man seemed fixed on Jack's left forearm, and the Colonel instinctively jerked his arm behind his back, wondering what it was the man was fixated with.

When all the food had been brought out, Daniel nodded curiously and began to ask more questions while Jack and the rest of the team began to eat and have a look around. As Jack nibbled at a piece of bread he neared the far wall and his eyes caught sight of a symbol that looked like an owl etched on the wall, and he reached a hand out to touch it. With his fingers barely an inch away the symbol began to glow and he quickly pulled his hand back. A gasp behind him made him turn and he was surprised to see a small child pointing furiously at the wall.

"Father! He is a gifted one! Come quick!" The little girl shouted as she waved her finger at the wall and a moment later Oltorf came running towards her.

He stopped beside her and looked in the direction that she was pointing. The owl-like symbol was still glowing and almost seemed to be getting brighter and Jack stared blankly at the man and his daughter not knowing what was going on.

"You are truly are a gifted one. We are honored to be in your presence." Oltorf dropped to his knees before Jack and the Colonel turned to his teammates for some sort of explanation.

"I don't understand. I didn't do anything. That little owl thing just lit up when my hand got close to it. I didn't do anything, honest." Jack shrugged his shoulders at Daniel hoping the young archeologist could figure out what was going on.

"Are you not a gifted one?" Oltorf stood up and looked into the Colonel's eyes for a moment and then turned to Daniel. "I can see that he is a gifted one."

"Um...What the Colonel is trying to say is that we aren't quite sure what you mean by gifted one? Could you please explain that?"

Readily Oltorf nodded and motioned for SG-1 to take a seat on the nearby bench. "There have been those born in our village that have the ability to work magic. They are called the gifted ones. They protect us in times of great need, but they are very rare. One has not been seen in our village for over a hundred years."

"How do you know that Colonel O'Neill is a gifted one?" Daniel's voice seemed to echo through the hall as silence enveloped the room.

"It is in his eyes, and he was able to light the symbol. Only a gifted one could make the symbol glow. No one in the village has that power."

With a nod Daniel stood and motioned for Jack to follow him. They moved away to the opposite corner of the room and Daniel pulled the other man close so he could whisper to him.

"Are you sure you didn't do anything to that wall?"

Jack glared at the archeologist and shook his head. "I told you, Daniel. All I did was bring my hand towards the owl thing and it started to glow. I never touched it."

"Are you positive?"

"Yes, damn it! I don't know what Olaf here thinks I am, but he's wrong. I ain't gifted or whatever he thinks I am."

Daniel nodded and sighed heavily. "It's Oltorf, and he seems very convinced."

"Well, unconvince him."

"I'll try. I mean it's not like you can really do magic or anything anyway, right?"

Daniel laughed softly and Jack rolled his eyes. "Whatever Daniel. Just get this cleared up."

The two men returned to the group and Daniel tried his best to explain that there was no such thing as magic in their world, but Oltorf was set that Jack was indeed a gifted one and in the end Daniel agreed to have Jack tested so that they could prove whether or not he was truly a gifted one.

"What the hell kinda test is it, Daniel?" Jack's voice was louder than he intended as he placed a hand on Daniel's shoulder.

"It simple. If I understand correctly, they have what would essentially be called a spell book. Anyone that is what they consider gifted can say the words in the book and they'll be able to do the magic."

Carter and Teal'c stared blankly at their companion as Jack shook his head in frustration. "It is highly unlikely that O'Neill will be able to read the language in this book."

"Thanks T, that makes me feel a lot better."

"Well, sir. This seems easy enough. It's not like you can really do magic, so just say whatever is in the book, if you can even read it, and this will be settled."

O'Neill groaned at his 2IC and buried his head in his hands. He took a few deep breaths and waited for Oltorf and his people to bring the spell book. It was several minutes before they arrived and he had managed to convince himself that there was no way the Kessian people's magic was anything like the magic he knew on Earth, and with a confident smile he waited to be told what to do.

Oltorf placed a large, tattered looking book on a pedestal at the end of the room and motioned for O'Neill and his team to join him. As he neared the pedestal he could see the open book and small piece of rope just beside it.

"You must read from the book. These words here, point to the rope and speak them." He pointed to a familiar looking writing and Jack's heart sank lower into his chest. He easily recognized the spell as a simple levitation spell and he bit back a curse.

"Take this." Oltorf's little girl reached up to give Jack what the others could plainly see was some sort of wand and Jack took a deep breath.

For a moment he read the words and then began to speak and gently swished the want in the palm of his right hand "Wigardium Leviosa."

As the words left his mouth he sighed inwardly, knowing he had said them with the wrong pronunciation and that it wouldn't work.

Much to Oltorf's displeasure the rope did not move and he took the wand from Jack's hand. "I know you are a gifted one. I have seen it in your eyes, but perhaps you have not been trained. There is one in a village a few days walk from here who could train you? She is not a gifted one, but she knows the old ways."

"Sorry, Ollie but I have to get back home. Training just isn't a possibility." Jack shook his head and turn to walk back toward the bench where his trusty P-90 was waiting.

"But you have come to us through the great circle. It is written that you will help us."

With a raised eyebrow Jack turned around and took in the equally confused looks of his teammates and then slowly strapped his gun back across his chest.

"What do you mean by 'it is written?" Daniel finally asked the question they were all wondering.

"A prophecy given to us by the elders over a century ago. It says that travelers will come from a distant land, and that one of them will possess the power to save us from a great evil. The prophecy tells of his great power, and how he will vanquish our enemy. He is the one. I am sure of it, Daniel."


	4. Chapter 3

Daniel and the others stared blankly at Oltorf unsure how to respond. Jack was the first to find his voice.

"I'm not who you think I am. I don't have any special gifts, and I can't save you from anything. I mean what is there for you to be saved from anyway. It doesn't look like your people are facing any major threats."

"Perhaps the mark you bear prevents you from doing the magic properly?" Oltorf challenged Jack and his glare dared the Colonel to dispute him.

"What mark?" Jack asked trying to hide the nervousness in his voice.

"That one there on your arm." Oltorf and his daughter pointed to O'Neill's forearm.

Daniel and Carter raised an eyebrow in confusion along with Teal'c. They couldn't see a mark on their CO's arm, but it was clear that Oltorf was certain there was something there.

"There's no mark on Colonel O'Neill's arm." Carter protested.

"You may not be able to see it, but it is there. I will show you." With that Oltorf reached for a candle that was just beside the pedestal and brought it close to Jack's arm. Ever so gently he let some of the wax drip onto the Colonel's skin and the rest of SG-1 watched as their CO's arm began to glow. At first the image was faint, but the image of black serpent on Jack's arm soon became clear.

"How did you do that?" Daniel asked as he reached out to touch Jack's arm, and was surprised when Jack wrenched his arm away.

"I don't know what you people think, but this little illusion of yours doesn't prove a thing." Angrily he wiped the wax from his forearm and reached for his jacket and slipped it on.

"You are a gifted one O'Neill, but that mark must block the magic in you." Oltorf tried to reach his hand out to the Colonel, but he backed away almost in reflex as his arm began to burn.

Unable to say anymore, SG-1 gathered their things and started back towards the stargate. Oltorf and his people begged them to remain, but their answer was a firm no. When they reached the gate Daniel began to dial when the trees began to move and their screams seemed to fill the air around them until it was almost unbearable. The team as well as the Kessians fell to the ground until only Jack remained standing.

He closed his eyes and it was as though he could hear the trees speaking to him. The voices seemed to surround him though he couldn't make out what was being said. He covered his ears to stop the voices, but they grew louder, so loud in fact that Jack was screaming at the top of his lungs for them to stop. Only then did he realize that Oltorf had placed the wand in his hand and he was muttering the words of spell as the trees began to quiet themselves.

Once the words were spoken a few times the trees were silent and a weary Jack O'Neill fell to the ground beside the DHD. He landed in a crumpled heap and Teal'c quickly moved to his side. Daniel and Carter sat up, stunned from what they had just witnessed, Jack tried desperately to catch his breath as Teal'c pulled the wand from his hand and placed gently on the ground beside him.

"O'Neill, are you well?" He asked as he placed his massive hand over Jack's shoulder.

"I'll be fine. That just took a lot outta me."

"What exactly did you just do, Jack?" Daniel managed to ask as he crawled towards the still winded Colonel.

"Um...would you believe me if I said I didn't know?"

"You looked like you knew exactly what you were doing. How did you stop that noise?" Daniel picked up the wand and waved it around for a moment before Jack reached up and snatched it from him.

"It was the trees. They weren't going to let us leave."

Oltorf scrambled to his feet and stumbled closer to O'Neill and the rest of SG-1. "I told you he was a gifted one. Only a gifted one could have calmed the enchanted trees."

"Sir, what do you mean they weren't going to let us leave?" Carter's voice rang in Jack's ears and he tried to come up with a way to explain things that would make sense to her purely scientific mind, but could think of nothing.

"The trees were trying to protect the Kessians. They thought we were trying to harm them. Had that noise gone on any longer it could have killed us."

"Have you lost it completely, Jack?" Jack turned to Daniel and shook his head.

"I know this probably doesn't make any sense, and it wouldn't unless...unless you believed in magic."

"Magic???" The skeptic in Carter made her shake her head. "What are you talking about? There's no such thing as magic. It's impossible."

"That's not entirely true. It's very possible, only a lot of people aren't capable of seeing it."

Again Carter shook her head and Daniel joined in. "Jack, you're trying to tell us that you just used magic, to stop the trees from hurting us?!"

"I believe that is exactly what O'Neill is saying." Teal'c's voice seemed to startle the team and they turned in his direction.

"You actually believe this, Teal'c?" Carter was almost shouting at that point and the jaffa stood up to make his point.

"If O'Neill says he has used magic, I see no reason for him to lie." The blond woman almost seemed to pale as the jaffa towered above her.

"Easy there big fella. I think Carter gets what you're saying." O'Neill finally gathered the strength to stand, albeit rather wobbly, and placed a calming hand on Teal'c's shoulder.

"How can you just believe this so easily, Teal'c?" Daniel finally managed to speak as he helped a still stunned Carter to her feet.

"In all the years we have known O'Neill, he has never given us sufficient reason to doubt him. He has only lied to us to protect us, and this does not appear to be one of those times."

Daniel and Carter nodded in agreement with their stoic-faced friend and Jack took a step back trying to decide how to proceed, now that his secret was effectively out. For a moment he looked around him and saw that Oltorf and his people were standing quietly several feet from the rest of SG-1and they appeared to be almost frightened at what Jack had done.

"Listen, guys. This is not the easiest thing to explain, but if you guys will give me a chance, when we get back home I'll explain everything. I promise."

Silently Daniel, Teal'c and Carter nodded and then turned to face the Kessians. Jack stepped forward and motioned for Oltorf to come closer.

"You were right about me being gifted, but I cannot stay. I'm not the one that is supposed help you. I'm sure of that."

"Is it because of the mark you bear?"

"In a way yes. It's hard to explain." Seeming to understand, Oltorf nodded and took Jack's hand in his.

"Will you return here?"

"Perhaps, but I don't know for certain." He cast a glance back at his team who solemnly looked away.

With that Oltorf and the rest of the Kessians said their goodbyes and started back towards the village. Slowly Jack turned back to the rest of SG-1 and nervously bit his lower lip waiting to see who would speak first. Daniel, the ever-ready linguist decided to take the plunge.

"So what are we going to tell General Hammond?"

Jack shrugged his shoulders. "That's up to you guys. You can tell him the truth if you want to, I won't deny it."

"Do you want us to, Jack?"

He looked straight into Daniel's eyes and then slowly looked away. "I'd rather you didn't, but if you feel you have to then go ahead."

Daniel turned to Carter and then to Teal'c. It was obvious that neither knew exactly what they should do. Telling Hammond the truth meant that Jack would quite possibly be taken in for study by the NID, or worse, and that was something they knew they couldn't bear. The alternative was to lie to the General and risk the consequences if he somehow found out.

Jack toyed with the zipper on his jacket as his team members huddled together deciding his fate. A small part of him felt relieved that they knew at least some of the truth, but a bigger part of him was scared to death of what was going to happen if they decided to tell Hammond the truth about what had happened here. It would be the end of his work with the SGC, and would probably mean he'd have to go deeper into hiding than he already was, but the worst would be to leave those that he had come to care about.

As the team separated from their huddle, Jack braced himself for whatever their decision would be and took a deep breath. "What did you decide kiddos?"

"For now we tell Hammond that the Kessians are nice people and we should consider keeping in contact and getting to know them a bit better. This whole magic thing stays between us, but you're going to explain it all as soon as we get off base."

Jack looked Daniel square in the eyes and silently nodded in agreement. Without another word, Daniel dialed the gate and Carter entered their code into the GDO and they stepped into the event horizon. When they emerged on the other side, General Hammond was standing at the end of the ramp to greet them.

"Welcome back."

"Thank you sir. It was a lovely trip, lots of wonderful trees." Jack feigned a smile, but he knew the rest of the team was giving him what could only be described as death glares and he shuddered as he slipped past the General.

The debriefing was short, and to the General's surprise the details were rather sketchy as best. Reluctantly he ordered the team to return to work and turn their full reports in the following morning, and hastily they all took off in separate directions, leaving Hammond beyond confused at his flagship team's odd behavior.

That evening Jack paced the floor in his living room, waiting for Daniel, Teal'c and Carter to show up. He had promised them the truth, and he wasn't going to hold back, but he was hard-pressed to think that they would easily believe the story he was about to tell them.


	5. Chapter 4

At 8:30 Daniel arrived with the other two members of SG-1 in tow and they filed into Jack's living room silently seating themselves on the couch and chair surrounding the coffee table. Jack smiled weakly and offered them all drinks, but they declined, wanting him to get to his explanation as quickly as possible.

"Alright. I guess you all want to me start then."

They all nodded and Jack walked into the kitchen and brought out a small box and laid it on the coffee table. Slowly he opened it and began to spread the contents around so that everyone could see it. Leaning back he slipped into a sitting position and reached into the sleeve of his button down shirt and pulled out a thin piece of wood and placed it just in front of him on the table.

"This isn't going to be easy for you all to hear, so I'm just going to start talking. I know you're probably going to have a thousand and one questions, but let me say what I have to say first." There was short pause and then with one long deep breath Jack began to speak. "I'm a wizard. Just like you saw with the Kessians, I can do magic. I was sent to a special school when I was a kid, and I learned to control my powers and about 12 years ago I went into hiding. I changed my name and started working for the Air Force. The mark that the Kessians saw is actually something that was put there a long time ago. I used magic to conceal it from you all these years, I just never figured anyone one off-world would be able to see though the charm. See there are witches and wizards all over the world, but most muggles, I mean non-magic people like yourselves, can't see the magic that's done. I know you're skeptical about this whole magic thing, but I can prove it's real."

With that he reached for the slim piece of wood in front of him and motioned for Teal'c to stand. He joined him and Carter and Daniel sat up straight in their seats, curious what was about to happen.

"Carter I'd like to check Teal'c. There's nothing connected to him, no wires, no devices, not a thing that could do what I'm about to do." Reluctantly she patted the big jaffa down and when she was satisfied she stepped back.

"Okay what now, sir."

Jack motioned for her to be seated and she did so, looking and Daniel sharing his questioning look as the Colonel waved the wand in front of Teal'c. Saying a silent prayer that Ministry wouldn't get wind of his use of magic he began to speak.

"T-man I swear this will be reversible." Teal'c raised an eyebrow in what Jack was sure meant that he trusted the other man and was ready for whatever was about to happen. "Semtus Lineas."

Before their eyes the hulking figure of Teal'c began to shrink, and when he stopped he stood no higher than the edge of the coffee table.

"Holy Hannah!" Carter stared in disbelief and slowly moved closer to the miniature Teal'c.

Daniel reached him first and gently picked him up. The tiny jaffa warrior fought furiously in Daniel's hands and shouted to be put back on the floor. Frightened by his actions, Daniel nearly dropped him, but Jack was able to catch him and put him safely on the carpet.

"How did you do that, Jack?" Daniel looked back and forth between Teal'c and Jack shaking his head.

"I told you Daniel, it's magic. That's the only explanation I have."

"You...you really are...a wizard...how?" Jack smiled at Daniel's question and shrugged his shoulders.

"My mother was a witch. I guess she passed the gene on to me."

"So it's hereditary? This is amazing!" Jack shifted uncomfortably as Daniel sized him up and innocently reached for the wand in Jack's hand. "Is it because of the wand?"

"Well, this helps to direct the power, but it actually comes from inside the witch or wizard."

Jack motioned for Daniel to step back and he waved his wand again at the miniature Teal'c and spoke words Daniel hadn't heard before. "Ereas Semtus."

In a matter of seconds Teal'c transformed back into his normal-sized self and Jack smiled, pleased with himself for still being able to work the magic so well.

Teal'c to everyone's surprise seemed rather shaken by the whole event and took a seat on the couch, his breathing having become somewhat rapid. Daniel was completely convinced and fired question after question at Jack not even giving the man a chance to answer, until finally Jack held up a hand to stop him, his eyes glazing over from the speed that the linguist's words were hitting him.

"Calm down, Daniel. One question at a time." Daniel shook his head and smiled as he took a seat next to Teal'c.

"How can you just believe all this?" Carter's voice made them all turn too see her standing, arms across her chest, with a none to happy expression on her face. "This is all just too surreal."

"You need more proof?" Jack asked ready to try something else to help his 2IC believe him.

"You said it was genetic? Then there has to be a logical explanation for it, just like Ancient's technology. Magic just can't exist without a reasonable explanation." With a frustrated groan she threw her hands in the air and shook her head. "It just can't. It goes against everything I believe."

Jack sighed unsure what else he could do to convince her that he was telling the truth. Looking back at Daniel and Teal'c he shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know what else to do here. How about you guys just ask me some questions and maybe that will make things a bit clearer for you."

Daniel was already anxious to ask, but Carter simply nodded and looked off towards the window lost in her own thoughts. Teal'c, who had regained his composure straightened in his seat and waited for Daniel to ask the first question.

"Why are you on the run exactly? Or rather whom are you running from?"

Jack's smile faded quickly. He had known this question would come up, and he hoped he would be able to explain the answer well enough for his friends to understand.

"About twenty years or so ago, a war broke out between those in the magical world. It's still going on to this day, at least to some degree. When I got out of school both sides recruited me. I chose to work for a wizard that everyone feared. He was cruel, and malicious. He cared about nothing but himself and how much power he had over others. It's a long story as to how I ended up working for Voldemort, but sufficed to say it garnered me a rather nasty reputation. What only a handful of people knew was that I was trying to work both sides of the war. I was friends with witches and wizards on both sides and I didn't want to see anyone else hurt or killed over one wizard's lust for power. In a move that I regret to this day, I tried to set Voldemort up. The plan backfired and two of my best friends were killed, and another ended up with a fate worse than death. Their son survived. Somehow his mother had managed to protect him when she died, and Voldemort disappeared. As far as most were concerned, the war was over and they were ready to hunt down anyone that had been a part of Voldemort's army. Since I was still considered a part of it, I had no choice but to run. Those that supported Voldemort wanted me dead for trying to double-cross him, and those that didn't support him wanted me dead too."

Jack paused when he saw that Daniel was raising an eyebrow as though he had another question forming in his mind.

"Couldn't you just explain things?"

"Without my friends alive to vouch for me, there was no way I could prove any of it. I would have ended up in Azkaban or worse."

"What is Azkaban?" Teal'c asked as he watched a shudder pass over Jack as he uttered the strange name.

"It's the wizard's prison. It's not like a normal prison. The guards are nasty creatures that suck the life out of you piece by piece until there's nothing left. They're beings called dementors, and lemme tell ya, goa'ulds ain't got nothing on these things."

"That would be the fate worse that death?" Jack nodded to Daniel and the other man took a breath before asking his next question. "What's your real name?"

"Jack Corrigan. Jack O'Neill was my cousin's name. He died when we were just boys. I figured it was a name no one would think to trace."

The next few hours Jack spent answering questions and even showing Teal'c and Daniel more magic he was capable of, but Carter never said a word. Her anger seemed to grow along with her confusion. Every fiber of her being said that magic wasn't possible, but there was no denying the things she had seen. It was beyond maddening for her to watch as the very foundation of her beliefs crumpled around her and when she'd finally had all she could take, she stood and excused herself from the room.

They watched her walk towards the door, and Jack wanted to follow, but Daniel's hand on his arm stopped him. The younger man shook his head and motioned for Jack to sit back down.

"She needs time. Nothing you say to her right now will make a difference. She just isn't ready to hear anything. Let her work things out on her own for now."

Jack thought about his friend's words for a moment and settled himself back in his seat. He knew he was right, but he hated that Carter was upset with him. The other two had taken to his revelation surprisingly well, but Carter just wasn't receptive at all.

By the time they finished talking it was almost 4 in the morning and Jack led a stumbling Daniel to the guest room while Teal'c prepared the floor in Jack's living room so that he could kelnoreem. Carter had long since taken Daniel's keys and driven back home, and Jack sighed as he walked himself up the stairs to his own bed and flopped down in it.

He was flooded with a sense of relief and concern for how this new knowledge was going to affect his team and their day-to-day functioning. Crossing his fingers he hoped for the best, but a part of him was afraid that wouldn't be enough. As he lay there in bed his mind began to drift, and as he watched the ceiling fan rotate a strange feeling began to overwhelm him. His eyes closed and his world began to spin uncontrollably. Images flashed before him, none making too much sense, but all were of chaos and destruction, and his vision settled on the image of boy standing alone in a cemetery with a wand in hand. There was something familiar about the boy, and just as Jack was started to remember who it was that the boy reminded him of, his eyes sprang open and he could hear a tiny voice whispering in his head.

"He that was lost will return, and the balance of power will shift. The dark lord will rise again and a wrong will be made right."

The words repeated themselves over and over again until he finally closed his eyes to sleep. When he woke the next morning his head ached but the words were still clear in his mind and a sense of dread enveloped him. That dread would stay with him for the next two weeks when something he never thought would happen...did.


	6. Chapter 5

After a week of more missions, briefings, and paperwork than he cared to think about, Jack O'Neill walked through the parking lot and stopped at his truck and slipped the key inside. Slowly he opened the door and pulled himself inside. The drive home from the mountain was unusually long because of an accident on the highway, but he managed to suffer through it and smiled as he parked the car in his driveway and turned off the engine.

He made his way to the door and paused when he noticed a familiar scent. It had been years since he'd smelled the sweet scent of butterbeer, but he'd know it anywhere. Curiously he turned around and a familiar figure stood before him.

"I must be dreaming." He reached his hand out towards the dark haired figure and smiled when his hand stopped at a knobby shoulder.

"No Jack. I'm quite real. Though I must say you've definitely aged these last few years."

"What are you doing here, Remus?"

Remus Lupin shook his head and smiled back at the man he hadn't seen in 12 years. "I had to know if you were still alive. Everyone else stopped searching, but I wasn't ready to give up. I knew if anyone could survive the death eaters it was you."

Jack chuckled softly as he pulled the other man into an embrace, and then quickly ushered him into the house. "How on earth did you find me?"

"It took a long time, but I managed. So you took your cousin's name, I see. I never would have guessed a Slytherin like yourself would have a taste for the military, let alone the American military."

"Well, I was never very good at being a proper Slytherin."

Remus rolled his eyes at Jack as they walked towards the kitchen and both took seats at the table. "You certainly had everyone fooled."

With solemn glance out the window Jack nodded. "That's a low blow, my friend."

"Well, considering how you left, I figured I owed you as much."

"What are you really doing here?"

"I wanted to let you know that Sirius escaped." Jack's jaw nearly hit the floor and the shocked expression on his face had Remus taken aback.

"He'll try to go to go after the boy. I'm sure of it."

Inwardly Jack sighed, wanting to tell Remus the truth, but knowing had no way to prove it. "He might not go after Harry."

"Not likely. He blames the boy for what happened to Voldemort. He'll come after him for revenge, if nothing else."

"You could be wrong. Maybe he just wanted to be free from that hellhole. I know I'd want nothing more that get out of Azkaban alive."

Remus sighed and shook his head. "I knew Sirius as well as you did. There's no way he'd leave a loose end like young Harry, without at least trying to finish what he started."

Jack watched as Remus reached into his jacket and pulled a small pocket watch and muttered softly to himself. "What was that Remus?"

"I have to be going. Have to catch a train in London in an hour. Apparating takes quite a bit out of me. I'll keep in touch."

Remus stood and walked towards the door and stopped just short. Jack reached out his hand and Remus took is and heartily shook it and pulled his friend into another embrace.

"Take care of the boy. If he's anything like his father he'll need looking after."

"Too true."

Both men laughed and Jack stepped back and waited for Remus to apparate. With a flash Jack was alone in his house and couldn't he help but feel a bit sad. A part of life he'd thought he'd long since left behind seemed to be rapidly catching up to him, and he couldn't shake the feeling that it was all about to come crashing down around him.

The next morning when Jack went in to the mountain he was decidedly reserved. Even the General wondered about how uncharacteristically quiet his second in command was. By mid-afternoon Jack's feelings of dread had kicked into overdrive and the Colonel was more on edge than anyone had seen him in long while.

He left the base earlier than usual and when he made it to his house he had the distinct feeling that that he was being watched. Slowly he surveyed his surroundings, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. As his hand touched the doorknob he felt a tiny prick on his neck and his vision began to blur. He blinked trying to get his world to focus, but it was useless. He felt himself falling to the ground before he could stop himself, then everything faded to black.


	7. Chapter 6

Jack awoke in a darkened room with his hands tied to the chair he was in. An all too familiar voice called his name from behind him and he turned his head towards it. The room was too dark for him to see anything clearly, but he knew that voice all too well.

"You've aged well, Jack. I'm glad we get to spend this quality time together." The voice was just to his right, but he couldn't see his face.

"What do you want with me?"

"I want the truth. Why did you betray us?" He felt a fist connect with his jaw and winced as a droplet of blood trickled down his chin. "Muggles have such amusing ways of getting information out of their prisoners. I think this will be delightfully entertaining."

"You should know me better than that, Lucius. I wouldn't betray my master." The words left a bitter taste in his mouth but he allowed himself to say them.

"Don't try and sound so loyal. I know you were working with Dumbledore. If it hadn't been for you and your friends, the plan would have succeeded."

Something hard connected with his face and he hit the floor with a thud. "You're wrong. What would I stand to gain by helping that fool?"

"I'll get the truth out of you before I'm finished, Jack. Mark my words. You will tell me what I want to know."

A final blow to his face and Jack lost consciousness. Those words would be last he remembered before he woke up in yet another strange place. Feeling around he tried to figure out where he was, but nothing seemed remotely familiar. There were voices all around him, but none he recognized. His eyes felt as though they were glued shut, and the noise was making his head pound in his skull.

He struggled to his knees and used his hands to try and feel his way around. All he knew for sure was that he was on a busy sidewalk. People seemed to be moving around him, and if he was right, they were trying to avoid him. Slowly he felt his way up the nearby wall and to his feet. With every ounce of his strength he pushed himself forward using the wall as a guide.

As he moved down the sidewalk his eyesight began to come back to him and he realized there was something vaguely familiar about the sounds he was hearing. It took several minutes for his eyesight to fully return, but once it did he was stunned to find out where he was.

Everything looked almost the same. It was hard to believe it had been over 12 years since he'd walked these streets and seen these familiar sights. Most of the shopkeepers were the same as when he'd been here before. He took a quick look at his attire and groaned. It made perfect sense why people were avoiding him; he was dressed in raggedy clothing that made him look like a muggle beggar.

Diagon Alley looked as though nothing had changed in the years since he'd last been there and a thought struck Jack as he brushed at the tattered clothes that were barely clinging to his appallingly thin frame. He had no idea of the day or even a clue as to how long he had gotten here. Try as he might, nothing came to him.

He stopped young witch walking into Flourish and Blotts to ask the date, and to his surprise it had been four days since he was back at the mountain. He was certain that the General would be looking high and low for him, and he knew he desperately needed to get back. Quickly he gathered himself and found an empty alley just past Knockturn Alley and tried to focus enough to make himself apparate, but nothing happened.

For several minutes he tried repeatedly to apparate, but it wouldn't work. Frustrated he walked to the end of the alley and looked around the corner. If only he had a wand he might just be able to make himself apparate. A thought came to him as he peeked around the corner and he scanned the street for an easy mark. It took a few minutes, but soon he found what he was looking for.

With a devious smile he set his sights on a young man carrying a mountain of books just across the street from him. The man was black robes and a cap, but what made Jack smile was the fact that his wand was hanging out of his left pocket. Slowly Jack made his way towards him and pretended to try and walk around him. As he did so he purposely brought his elbow up to tip the books forward.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry." Jack bent down to help the lad up, and ever so carefully reached into his pocket and swiped his wand, and stuffed under his shirt.

The young man didn't notice a thing, and he shook his head and brushed himself off and proceeded to pick up his books. "It's alright, sir. I should have moved over just a bit more. No problem though. None of them hit you did they?"

"No. I'm fine." Both men picked the rest of the books up and Jack piled them into the young man's arms

"Thanks for helping me. Have a good day."

"You too." Rolling his eyes, Jack turned around and headed back towards the alley.

Once he was out of sight again he pulled the wand from his shirt and stared at it for a moment. Whispering a silent prayer he brought the tip of the wand up and closed his eyes. He concentrated hard on where he wanted to go, and then spoke. "Apparate!"

He felt and heard a loud cracking sound and opened his eyes to see he was back in his house. There was a rather startled airman lying on the floor in front of him, and Jack stepped back.

"Sir! What just happened?" The airman shouted as he tried to get to back away.

Biting back the curse that wanted to leave his lips, Jack shrugged his shoulders and reached a hand out to help the airman to his feet. "Not quite sure myself, but I could really use a shower."

"What do you mean you don't know what happened, Colonel?" General Hammond's voice echoed through the office door. "You were missing for 4 days!"

Jack sighed and gave the General his best 'I really don't know' look and sank deeper into his seat. "I don't remember sir. The last thing I'm certain of is driving home a few days ago, and then I was in my house with a rather confused SF in my living room."

Hammond looked around the room from Jack to each of the members of SG-1 and solemnly shook his head as he sat up in his chair. "And no one has any clue as to what could possibly have happened?"

"Could have been any number of people, General. Jack has a lot of enemies." Jack looked in Daniel's direction and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Daniel's right, sir. Between the NID and Senator Kinsey, and whomever else dislikes the Colonel, it could have been anyone." Carter chimed in from her seat at the end of the table.

"I hate to say it, but they're right. I have a lot of enemies, and I seem to keep racking them up. On the bright side, Frasier checked me out and says I'm fine." General Hammond was less than amused at his 2IC's lighthearted attitude and shot him a glare that surprised and quieted the Colonel.

The story the SF was telling was that the Colonel had simply stumbled into the back door of the house, with no memory of what had happened. Thankfully Jack was pretty handy with memory charms and had managed to alter the young airman's memory so that he didn't have to explain how he really showed up out of nowhere. Unfortunately for himself, he really had no memory of what had happened or how he had ended up in London in the first place. Jack had tried to come up with any number of possible explanations that the General might buy, but none of them seemed to make enough sense. He knew it would be risky to simply admit to not knowing what happened, but he hoped that it might work out to his advantage, though he wasn't quite sure how.

The next week on General Hammond's orders, was spent trying to determine exactly what had happened to Colonel O'Neill. Jack and the rest of the team and exhausted themselves trying to figure it all out, and in the end had come up with nothing. No matter how hard he tried Jack couldn't remember anything about what had happened, save for a few flashes in his dreams that he thought might have been images of what had occurred. And only his team knew about waking up in London and him having to erase the SF's memory. Still, the General wasn't pleased that their efforts had brought back nothing. Reluctantly he ordered SG-1 to discontinue their search but wasn't quite ready to send them back through the gate again. Jack however had not given up. He was determined to find out what had been done to him, and he knew the only way to find out for certain was to go back to the world he had left behind so many years before.

"Jack, you should take someone with you." Daniel pleaded with his friend, but it didn't seem to be doing much good.

"I can't risk it, Daniel. Going back there is going to be dangerous enough for me. I don't even want to think what could happen to you or Carter or even Teal'c if you came with me."

"Other than a few flashes of memory that you can't even distinctly place, all you know for sure is that you woke up in an alley in London with no idea how you got there. How is going back alone going to help you figure anything out?"

Jack groaned and shook his head as he continued to pack his bag. "I can't explain it. I just know that I have to go back."

"You said you could get put in that wizard's prison if someone catches you, what are you gonna do if that happens?"

"That's a risk I'm willing to take. Now leave this alone. I'm going and that's the end of it." With that Jack zipped up his bag and tossed it over his shoulder and walked out of the room, leaving a furious Daniel behind.

As he walked towards the door Jack felt a bit guilty. Daniel was only trying to help, but he really had no idea what Jack was about to risk by going back. He stopped at the door and turned to see Daniel just behind him.

"I'm not going to argue with you, Jack. I don't doubt you know what you're doing, I just want to make sure you're not rushing into this blindly."

"I realize that Daniel, but none of you would have a clue what you were walking into, and I don't want anyone getting hurt. Not if I can help it."

Sighing Daniel raised his arms to show he wasn't going to say another word on the subject and Jack reached out and opened the door so they could leave. Daniel watched as Jack took off in his truck after locking his door, and he decided then and there that Jack was going to get some help whether he liked it or not, and whether he knew about it or not.

"General Hammond, I know this is a bit of an odd request-"

"I don't know what would make you say that. When it comes to SG-1 there is very little that I consider odd anymore. Take the time and hopefully when you all get back things will be back to normal." Daniel nodded as General Hammond waved him out of his office.

Daniel knew it wasn't what Jack wanted, and that the other man would probably be beyond angry if he knew what they were doing, but he also knew that Jack had drilled it into their heads that they were a team and they had to stick together. And this was one of those times that sticking together seemed like a far better idea than going it alone.

Quickly he made his way down the corridor and stopped in Samantha Carter's office. She was busy at work when he popped his head inside.

"Hammond gave us the time off. Will you be ready to leave by tonight?"

She looked up from her experiment and reluctantly nodded. "I guess."

"You know if you'd rather not go, then-"

"I told you I would, what else do you want from me, Daniel?!" The anger was clear in her voice and Daniel shook his head and turned to leave.

Ever since she'd found out about Jack's abilities she'd been completely unbearable to the rest of the team. It was almost beyond Daniel how she could be so obtuse about something just because it went against what she believed. He'd never pegged the Major as that type of person, but more and more she was showing herself to be just that.

Leaving the Major stewing, Daniel headed up to Teal'c's quarters to let him know and then went back to his office to settle things so that he could go home and finish packing. A few hours later he was packed and ready to go, and Teal'c and Carter met him at the airport to catch their flight to London.


	8. Chapter 7

The flight felt longer than it actually was, and by the time they landed even Teal'c was looking ready to get off the aircraft.

"DanielJackson, I do not believe these vehicles were invented properly. The facilities are far too small, and the seating is not advantageous for one's comfort."

Daniel rolled his eyes and the Jaffa raised an eyebrow. "You're probably right. Then again most people aren't quite as...large as you are."

Teal'c nodded which Daniel interpreted as 'I'm not convinced, but I'm willing to leave this discussion until later.' With that they began to exit the plane and made their way through the airport and caught a taxi to their hotel.

Carter had been quiet for most of the plane ride and through the cab ride as well, but the expression on her face was enough to tell Teal'c and Daniel that she really didn't want to be there. After getting out of the taxi and checking into their rooms, they sat down to come up with a strategy to find Jack, and Carter sighed heavily as she shrugged her shoulders not offering any suggestions. Daniel had had enough and stood up and moved closer to where she was seated across the room from him.

"Why the hell did you even bother coming with us?" His hands went across his chest as he stared down at her waiting for her to speak.

"Excuse me?!"

"No, I won't excuse you. You've been acting like a bitch since Jack told us about being a wizard. I realize it was a lot for you to stomach, so I told him to give you time, but damn...get over it already!"

Teal'c sat up straight on the bed listening intently to his friends as they argued, and shouted at one another.

"Screw you, Daniel!" Sam angrily stood up and started to leave, but Daniel caught her by the arm and spun her around. "Let me go!"

He held his grip firmly. "Not until you hear me out."

Furiously she attempted to wrench her arm away, and when that failed she brought her other arm around to try and hit Daniel in the face. To her surprise he was able to counter and locked her arm behind her and held her down against the chair she had previously been seated in.

"I'm warning you, Daniel."

"From where I'm standing you aren't in any position to warn me about anything."

Teal'c finally stood from his seat on the bed and stepped up to the two combatants. "Fighting will not achieve out goal of helping O'Neill. DanielJackson you will release her now."

Reluctantly, Daniel did as Teal'c said and the Major pulled herself up and rotated her now sore shoulder and glared at Daniel as though she wanted to kill him.

"Where do you get off treating me this way?" Carter asked as Daniel stepped away from her.

"It is you who has brought this upon yourself, MajorCarter. Had you not acted so harshly to O'Neill DanielJackson would not have gotten upset."

Sam turned her glare to Teal'c and shook her head at both men. "So this is my fault?!"

"What's harder for you to grasp, that you were wrong about something, or that Jack is more than meets the eye just like we always thought he was?" Daniel stared back at Carter with a smirk on his face as if daring her to respond.

She lowered her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath as Daniel's words began to sink in. "That's not fair."

"Maybe not, but you've been acting like a spoiled child that can't get her way. You've had plenty of time to adjust to this; we all have. If you can't accept things the way they are, then go home and we'll find Jack on our own." Again Daniel's arms crossed over his chest and Sam looked from Daniel to Teal'c and both men were wearing the same determined expression.

She knew they were right, and if she admitted it to herself she had been a royal pain in the ass since they'd gotten back from Kessia. The Colonel was just as important to her as he was to Daniel and Teal'c and if she didn't put her petty frustrations aside, she was going to lose them all. Swallowing her pride she sat up her chair and looked them both in the eyes.

"I'm sorry guys. I shouldn't have acted the way I've been acting. I want to help the Colonel as much as you do."

Nodding Teal'c and Daniel took seats on the edge of the bed closest to Carter and they began to talk strategy.

Jack could just make out the sign for the Leaky Cauldron a block ahead and he smiled. It looked much the same as it had the last time he had been there years before.

...flashback...

"Come on Jack. You can't be serious. I think you've had a bit too much brew. There is no way the Irish team is going to win the Quidditch Cup this year. They may be good, but Romania is the best. They're unbeatable."

Jack rolled his eyes at James and shook his head. "I've only had two pints, not near enough to impair my judgment, Prongs. You on the other hand, Lily is going to have your ass for getting this pissed."

"Jack's right on that one, my friend." Sirius spoke up from his seat across the table from James Potter and Jack and the other two shook their heads at him.

"So you finally decided to wake up?" Jack quipped as he pushed a half empty glass of beer towards Sirius.

"Well the conversation was a bit dull. I thought a nap was in order." Sirius gave them both a mock salute as he downed the beer and they both rolled their eyes at him.

"Lily will not have my ass. I'm hardly as intoxicated as the both of you."

Sirius smirked and Jack shook his head as he put his arm around James' shoulder. "We'll see what happens when we have to carry you home later tonight."

James pushed Jack's arm away and stood up. "I'll be back. Perhaps you'll both have sobered up a bit by then."

Jack and Sirius laughed as James took off towards the lavatory. While he was gone, the door swung open and in walked a dark-haired man both Jack and Sirius knew quite well.

"Sev! Join us!" Jack shouted as Severus Snape shook the rain water off his robes and set his cloak on the rack beside the door.

Severus took one look at Sirius and scowled as he moved closer. "You should really try smiling, Snape. I hear it's good for the facial muscles."

"Honestly, Black is that the best line you could come up with? I would have thought someone with your wit could have thought of something far more creative."

Jack shook his head at both men and pulled Severus down into the seat beside him. "Be nice. You're both my friends and I won't have you fighting while I'm around."

"Then I suggest you tell the grease ball to shove off-"

At Sirius' words Severus stood and pulled his wand out. "You bastard!"

Both men were on their feet in seconds and Sirius had his wand ready and pointed it at Snape just as Jack stepped between them.

"Enough! Stop this!"

"How you can be friends with a Gryfindor is beyond me, Jack."

"He's friends with more than one of us, in case you'd forgotten." They all turned to see James standing just behind them, his left hand poised to go for his wand if need be.

"Come on. Why do you guys always have to argue?"

"You know my reasons quite well, Jack." Severus snarled and Jack shook his head.

"That was a long time ago. They're both sorry for what happened. Let it go, Sev." Snape glared at Jack and put his wand back in his robes and started for the door.

"Severus wait!" Jack started after Snape but Sirius' hand on his forearm stopped him.

"Let that bloody fool go. If he can't get past a stupid childhood prank then leave him."

Jack shook his head angrily. "You know I can't do that. Besides, you and James were wrong for what you did to him. I don't even blame him for still being angry about it."

"Come on, Jack. Sirius and I were kids. We didn't mean anything by it."

"Maybe not, but you nearly killed him. Had anything actually happened to him, I would have killed you both."

"I will never understand what it is between you two. You were in the same house in school, but other than that you are so different." Jack looked at James and rolled his eyes.

"One could say the same about you two and Peter, but you still keep that little rat around."

"That's different. He's different."

Jack shook his head at Sirius. "At least Severus is someone I can trust. I wouldn't trust Peter any further than I could throw is fat ass."

Angrily Jack wrenched his arm from Sirius' grip and started for the door. He cast one quick glance back at James and Sirius and both men were shaking their heads as he walked out.

...end flashback...

That had been the last time the three of them had been together before everything fell apart. He had gone after Severus, but had been unable to calm the man down. Two weeks later James and Lily were killed by Voldemort and Jack had gone into hiding. The loss of everything he knew was difficult, but he never lost the sense of guilt he felt over not being there to help James and Lily.

Shaking himself from the memories, Jack stepped up to the door of the Leaky Cauldron and pushed it open. Slowly he stepped inside and lowered his head as he made his way to the far end of the bar.

"What'll it be?" The bartender asked as he towel dried a glass on the opposite side of the bar.

"Butterbeer. Need something to warm me up. It's cold out there."

"Right there. Where you from? You sound like a right Yank to me?"

"Guilty. First time in London actually. A friend suggested this place." The bartender nodded and set a steaming mug of butterbeer in front of Jack.

"You seem a bit familiar. Wherabouts in America you from?"

"New Mexico."

"Did you go to the Jemez Mountain Academy for Witches and Wizards then?"

"Actually I went to the Salem Institute."

The bartender nodded and his attention was taken away by another customer walking into the building. Jack downed the butterbeer and followed a small group of wizards going out the back door to Diagon Alley. He walked through the brick wall and onto the street and took a deep breath as he surveyed the area. He slipped through the street unnoticed and stopped when he reached Ollivander's. A bell rang as he stepped inside and a gray-haired man walked towards the front counter adjusting his spectacles.

"How may I help-" Ollivander stopped in his tracks and gasped. There was no mistaking the man in front of him. "How is this possible? You're supposed to be dead."

"You know me. I was always lucky." Jack shrugged his shoulders and smiled.

"That you were. What are you doing here? I should alert the Ministry this instant."

"But you won't. You know I'm no more guilty than my brother." Jack met Ollivander's gaze and old wizard shook his head. "I came here looking for information. You always seem to have a handle on what goes on in London and the rest of the wizarding world."

Ollivander smirked and nodded as he stepped around the counter and went to put the 'closed' sign on his shop door. Jack crossed his arms over his chest and Ollivander motioned for him to follow him to the back of the shop.

"What sort of information are you searching for?"

"Someone kidnapped me a little over a week ago. They used some sort of potion on me, and I don't remember much. I only get flashes, quick images, but nothing concrete."

Ollivander shook his head. "And you think I might know who did this?"

"I think you can find out, or at least point me in the right direction."

"I'll do what I can, but I make no promises. With all the fuss about Black being on the run, it's not so easy to get information."

With a smirk Jack nodded. "Don't forget you owe me. This little shop would have been burnt to the ground if it weren't for me."

Ollivander gulped and gave Jack an indignant look and motioned for him to go towards the front of the store. He hastily did as the older wizard wanted and flipped the sign over as he turned the latch to open the door.

"Come back tomorrow afternoon."

Jack nodded and stepped back out onto the busy street. The sun was just going down and the chilly night breeze was in full force. He passed through the streets quietly and went back through the Leaky Cauldron and into Muggle London.


	9. Chapter 8

As he walked back to his hotel he had the feeling he was being watched and checked over his shoulder a few times to see if anyone was there. He reached the hotel and slipped inside, and as he peered out his window he could make out a faint figure standing beneath the street lamp. No face was visible, but the figure seemed vaguely familiar. He thought about going to find out who it was, but in a flash the figure was gone.

Reluctantly Jack laid down on the bed and tried to rest. Images flashed through his mind of times he'd rather forget, and of times he desperately wanted to remember. Nothing seemed to make much sense, and he rolled over on his side and watched the numbers on the clock tick by until he drifted into a fitful sleep.

"Please Lily, listen to me. I don't know who you're using as a secret keeper, but whomever you choose, don't let it be Peter." Jack pleaded with the small woman sitting beside him.

"Why are you so upset, Jack? James and I will choose someone we trust. If it's Peter then so be it." She smiled softly and brought her hand up to touch Jack's cheek.

Angrily he wrenched himself away. "NO! You can't! You have to trust me on this one, Lil. I have a bad feeling about this. Don't choose Peter. Let Sirius do it, or even Remus, but not Peter."

"What is it with you and these feelings? Peter is harmless. If it makes you feel better, I promise that I'll tell James I don't want to use Peter."

He sighed in relief and nodded as he pulled her into his arms. "Thank you. You know I mean well in telling you this, right?"

"Of course I know that. You're our friend, and you only have our best interests in mind, but truly if Voldemort wishes to come after us, he'll find a way."

"Don't say that!" Her smile faded as she pulled away from Jack and took his hand in hers. Gently she turned his arm over and traced along the dark mark there. "Please. I already hate that it's there, don't remind me of it."

"You made a dangerous decision by joining him, and you did it to protect someone you cared for." She released his arm and he slid his robe back over his arm, and watched as she stepped over to the crib a few feet away. "Now James and I must do something dangerous to protect our child. Neither of us takes it lightly, and we will make our decision carefully. In truth, if I could choose you I would."

"It would never be safe."

Lily brought her slender finger to her lips. "Shhh...I know. Though I wish it weren't so. I would have liked for Harry to grow up knowing his uncle Jack."

"Maybe that can still happen. This could all be over soon. We could find a way to stop Voldemort and end this damned war."

She sighed heavily and nodded. "True, but something tells me you already know that won't be so."

Nervously he looked away. She was always the one that could read him; his expressions never hid the truth from this extraordinary woman.

"I...It's just..." Again she brought her finger to her lips to silence him.

"You've seen something again, haven't you?" Her stared down into her soft green eyes and then looked away. "Tell me."

"I...can't."

Lily frowned and covered her mouth with her left hand. The expression on his face told her all she needed to know. "You should go. We don't want you to get caught."

He couldn't bring himself to look at her anymore, and turned to go out the bedroom door. He passed through the hall and didn't stop until he reached the door.

"Lily, please be careful. Remember what I said about Peter." She nodded slowly and watched him walk out the door and disappear down the street.

He knew she was crying as he walked away, and inside he was crying as well. He couldn't tell her that he had seen their demise in his dreams. His ability to see things had become his curse, and now more than ever he hated it, and prayed that for once he would be wrong.

Two days later as he walked into the darkened hovel he called his home and buried his head in his hands, knowing that the thing he feared was about to come to pass. The sound of flickering in his fireplace made him start and he looked over to see Lucius Malfoy's face staring back at him.

"Where have you been?"

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Jack shook his head in frustration as the sound of the other wizard's voice grated through the living room.

"Don't use that tone with me. I should strangle you for even thinking it."

"Sod off, you insufferable prat. I'm in no mood for your foolishness."

"I just wanted to let you know that our Master has found a way to find the Potters. That idiot Pettigrew has agreed to be their secret keeper."

Jack tried to hide the horrified expression on his face, but he was sure Malfoy saw it. "When did this happen?"

"Only an hour ago. We tried to reach you, but you haven't been home. He wants us ready to move in an hour." With that Lucius' head disappeared from the fireplace and Jack sank back in his seat for a moment.

Biting back the curse that he desperately wanted to use, he stood up and started for the door. His heart was racing and he knew he only had a matter of time to warn James and Lily, but he had to try. As quickly as he could he grabbed the broom by the door and started to leave. He opened the door and to his surprise a rather frightened looking Sirius Black stared back at him.

"Where is he?"

Jack was sure he knew who Sirius was looking for, but he had to be certain. "Who are you talking about?"

"Don't be daft, Jack! Where is Peter? I know he's gone to Voldemort, now where are they?"

"Probably on their way to James and Lily's, where we should already be." Without another word both men took off, Jack on his broom and Sirius on his enchanted motorbike.

They reached James and Lily's too late. There was a faint green light in one of the windows and they could hear Lily screaming.

"No! We're too late." Sirius cried out as he ran towards the front entrance.

Jack was just behind him when they heard a child crying. They heard Voldemort utter the words to his curse and then a loud explosion just as they were about to open the bedroom door. The explosion knocked them both to the floor and soon all they heard was the child crying.

"Dear God! What have I done?" Sirius dropped to his knees as he entered the room. Lily's prone body was lying against her son's crib and what was left of burnt robe was beside her. The child was lying in his crib crying as droplets of blood ran down his forehead.

Jack stepped forward and took the baby in his arms. "It's alright, Harry. You'll be alright."

Screaming sounds erupted around them as a green mist began to envelope the room. "What is this?"

"I don't know Sirius, but I think we should leave."

The green mist drifted out the window and was soon gone entirely, and Jack and Sirius stared blankly at one another.

"What will we do with Harry?" Jack looked between them and around the room.

"Take him. I have to go find the others. I'll meet you back here in an hour. I have to find out what's going on."

"What about Voldemort? He was here. We both heard him, where did he go?" Jack shrugged his shoulders and kept on towards the window and Sirius stood up, his anger obvious. "Fine! Go back to your Master!"

Jack shook his head furiously. "You know me better than that, Sirius. We have to know what happened to Voldemort. Hopefully, the others will know something."

Sirius was about to respond when they heard someone coming towards the house. A quick glance out the window and they realized it was one of Dumbledore's men. Hagrid made his way into the house, and Jack set Harry in his crib and pulled Sirius out the window.

They watched as Hagrid took the child in his hulking arms and carried him back down the stairs. Quickly they fled from the roof as Hagrid made his way down to the front door. Jack took off on his broom leaving Sirius alone to watch Harry be taken away.

With a shout Jack woke from his dreams and sat upright in his bed. Sweat poured down his face and he was breathing heavily. Slowly he stood up and walked into the bathroom. He stared in the mirror for a few minutes and then splashed his face with water.

"It's just a memory, Jack. Get a hold of yourself."

He eased his way back into the room and laid back on the bed. His head was spinning just slightly and he closed his eyes trying to make it stop. Again he drifted off into a fitful sleep, only this time his dreams were quite different.

"The boy will die. I'll make certain of it." He could hear Voldemort's gravel-like voice as he moved across the room, his robes swishing as the fabric touched the floor.

"My Lord, how will we get him here?" Peter Pettigrew's high-pitched voice echoed through the room.

"That is none of your concern. Go fetch me some tea."

"Yes, Master."

It was as though Jack was outside himself watching the scene unfold. Voldemort muttered to himself about his plans to kill the boy, and Jack listened intently. When Peter returned with the tea on a tray, he placed it in front of Voldemort and poured him a cup.

"How may I assist my lord in capturing the Potter boy?"

"You, you sniveling poor excuse for a wizard can keep your mouth shut. I don't require any assistance you might possibly offer." Peter bowed low and stepped away as Voldemort reached for his cup and began sipping at the contents.

Again Jack woke with a start, the sweat soaking his skin. He sat up trying to catch his breath. "You're losing it, buddy. You're really losing it."

He rested his head against the headboard, but did not sleep this time. He sat quietly and watched the sun come up from his window and hoped that his dream would not become a reality.


	10. chapter 9

Daniel, Carter, and Teal'c tried to be as inconspicuous as possible as they searched around the street searching for the entrance to what Daniel was sure was the Leaky Cauldron. To the unsuspecting person, they simply looked lost, and several people had in fact offered to give them directions somewhere. They had politely declined and continued to search the area with little luck.

"This is insane! Are you sure this is the place, Daniel?" Carter asked as she brought her hand up to wipe the seat off her forehead.

"I'm positive, Sam. Jack said that it was concealed somehow so that non-magic people wouldn't notice it. We just have to keep trying. There has to be a way for us to get in."

Carter started to respond, but Daniel had already turned back to his search and she sighed in frustration. It had taken two hours to find this spot, and they had searched the area for nearly an hour and a hald already, and they didn't seem any closer to figuring out how to get inside. Reluctantly she looked around the area once again, and her eyes caught sight of a familiar figure walking in their direction.

"Guys, we should probably get moving."

"Why Sam? We haven't found the entrance yet." Daniel looked over his shoulder at Carter and shook his head. Teal'c look in her direction with a raised eyebrow, but said nothing.

"Because the Colonel is coming towards us." All three looked in the direction that Carter was pointing and taking advantage of the semi-crowded street they ducked into the nearest alley.

Daniel waited a moment until he was sure Jack would have gone by, and popped his head out of the alley and to his surprise his chin smacked Jack in the shoulder.

"What the heck are you three doing here?!"

"You know you could use our help, and we're here to make sure you get it." Jack rolled his eyes at Daniel and then looked past him to Teal'c and Carter.

"Is that what you two think too?"

"Sir, you have to admit that we can at least be of some help to you."

Rolling his eyes Jack shook his head. "I don't have to admit anything, Carter. I don't need to be looking after you three right now. I can handle this on my own."

"It would be advantageous for you to partake of our assistance. Surely you know this to be true?" Teal'c cocked his head in Jack's direction, and Jack was almost foaming at the mouth.

"I want you three on the first plane back to the states. There's no compromise here. I need to do this alone."

"We're not leaving, Jack. We're a team and we stick together. You can either let us help you, or we'll find a way to help you anyway." Daniel's arms were crossed over his chest and Jack sighed.

"Fine. Just keep in mind I'm not babysitting any of you."

"Why would one sit on an infant?" Daniel and Carter both stifled a laugh at the the Jaffa's attempt at levity, while Teal'c's stoic expression stayed firmly in place as Jack turned to give a glare that would have shattered any normal man.

A moment later Jack turned around and went back out of the alley and back to where Daniel and the others had been searching. Carefully he brought his hand up to touch the doorknob and opened the door. "What were you guys doing standing out here anyway? Why didn't you just go inside?"

Daniel lowered his head and shuffled past his friend without a word. They stepped inside the Leaky Cauldron and moved past all the patrons to the back of the room. The bartender waved in Jack's direction and he smiled back as he made his way to the back door. He motioned for the other three to go through the door, and they did so quickly. Once outside they surveyed the area and looked back at their team leader somewhat confused.

"What are we doing out here, sir?"

"Patience, Carter." Jack pulled out his wand and tapped the third brick from the left on the wall in front of them and smiled when his friends jumped back at the sight of the wall opening before them.

They all stepped through and into the street before them and Jack motioned for them to go to the left.

"What did you say this place was called?"

"Diagon Alley. Probably one of the most popular places in London for wizards. Best place to get supplies."

It was hard to miss the smile on Jack's face as he walked through the bustling street with his team beside him. As they walked Daniel caught sight of a women with a hump on her back and what looked like a cane in her hand. She reached a bony hand out and poked at Jack's shirt sleeve.

"Why you young folks haf to wear these bloody muggle clothes I'll never know." She shook her head and moved past the group, muttering to herself she did so.

"What exactly was she?" Daniel asked once he was sure she was out of hearing distance.

"That was a hag. They tend to take offence to all things muggle, and...well they take offence to everything actually. Muggles seem to bother them most though."

"Weird." Daniel shook his head and cast a quick glance back in the direction the hag had walked and then turned back to follow Jack.

It was clear to everyone that Jack seemed at home in this environment. He hadn't said much, but his face was brighter than they'd seen it before. As they stepped up to a shop window where several young children were staring with eyes glazed over and fingers and noses pressed to the glass, the team saw a smile that had rarely crossed Jack's face.

The children were mesmerized, but Jack was entranced by the broom in the window. Daniel stared at it in disbelief and gently tapped Jack on the shoulder. "People actually ride those things?"

"Hell yeah! It's only one of the single greatest feelings in the entire world. Flying a broom is truly amazing."

The look in Jack's eyes almost made Daniel look away. For a moment he saw a glimpse of what Jack must have been like as a child and it he realized that Jack really fit here in this strange little world.

"What is that guy on the poster doing?" Carter's voice broke Jack from his trance-like state in front of the window and he turned around to look at his 2IC.

"He's playing quidditch."

"What's is this quid itch?" Teal'c asked as he watched the little figure whirling around on the poster by the window.

"Quidditch, it's the best game ever invented."

"I thought that was hockey?"

"Nope. Hockey pales in comparison to quidditch. You fly around on a broom..." Jack started in on the rules and an such of the game and all three were taken in by their leader's enthusiasm. They began walking further down the street, and suddenly Jack stopped in his tracks. "Sorry, didn't mean to bore you guys."

The others smiled and shook their heads. Daniel laughed softly, as Jack turned his head away. "Sounds like a rather fascinating game, Jack."

"Heck Yeah! It's absolutely amazing! There's nothing like it."

"Maybe you'll get to show us one day."

"Sure." Jack's smile faded at Daniel's words and he turned around and continued to walk before stopping a few blocks ahead.

He stopped in front of Ollivander's Wand Shop and motioned for the others to go inside ahead of him. He followed him inside and shut the door behind them. A few young witches were taking the shopkeeper about a replacement wand but upon seeing the strange looking group enter, the girls hurried their search and quickly paid for their wand and left.

Ollivander looked quite displeased at Jack as he looked over the rim of his glasses at the three muggles currently standing in his shop. "What are you doing bringing them here?"

"Calm down. There friends. Besides, I didn't invite them, they just showed up." Jack cast a backward glance at his three companions and they scowled back at him.

Bustling past the group, the gray-haired Ollivander went to the door and flipped the sign in front of the window over so that it read 'closed,' and then motioned for Jack to move towards the back of the store.

"So what did you find out?" Jack asked as soon as they were in the back of the store.

"It was Lucius. He has it in his head that getting rid of the boy will bring you-know-who back. Like a number of his lot, is certain that you were the one that something more happened in that house the night you-know-who was destroyed."

With a sigh Jack leaned back against he wall. "Yeah, hence the reason I ran all those years ago."

"Look, Lucius doesn't know you're here, but if you stay in London much longer he will. You should go back wherever it is you've been hiding yourself. This is not the safest place for you."

Rolling his eyes Jack smirked at Ollivander. "Trust me, I'm no safer where I was. Me being kidnapped proved that."

"Jack, do you think there's any truth to what Lucius believes?"

"That killing Harry will..." Jack paused at looked at Ollivander who was already nodding. "No, they're linked just like the prophecy said they were, but killing the boy won't bring Voldemort back."

Ollivander cringed and shook his head furiously at Jack. "Must you say his name?!"

"I don't fear him, old friend. I never have, and I never will. He may have had power, but he never had it over me. The fools that followed him were weak enough to believe he was unstoppable, but I've always known he wasn't."

"You're sight tell you that?" Jack laughed softly at Ollivander's mention of his 'gift' as so many had put it.

"You might say that."

"It occurs to me that had we listened to you, this may have been avoided."

Jack shook his head sorrowfully. "Don't go there. We had no way of knowing that I was right. I didn't believe in the sight back then. I thought I was losing my mind."

"But still, you were correct."

"Even so, most thought I was as batty as that loon Trelawney."

"And she ended up being right as well."

Jack smiled and nodded. "Not that she remembers it. She was a crackpot then and she still is from what I hear."

"How can you deny your gift now?"

"It's limited at best, Ollivander. Trelawney is a testament to that. My sight may be stronger than hers, but it's still an imperfect. I have no control over it."

Ollivander shook his head and brought his left hand up to stroke his chin. "Perhaps you're right, but you do have an amazing gift."

With his discomfort visible, Jack nodded. "Look, I appreciate what you found out for me, but I think my friends and I should go."

Ollivander looked over at the trio that had remained amazingly silent during his and Jack's conversation and sighed heavily.

"Very well. If I may offer you a final word of warning..." Jack raised an eyebrow at the wizard and waited for him to continue. "Black was sighted at Hogwart's last night; stay clear of him. He probably wants you dead more than anyone else. If he or Lucius finds out you're here, you'll be no safer than young Harry."

Jack nodded in thanks and then motioned for his team to go back towards the front of the shop. He was just behind them with Ollivander by his side. Pushing past his team, Jack opened the door and waved them outside. He cast a single glance at the old wizard before he walked out and led his team back to the Leaky Cauldron.

As he watched them leave, Ollivander sighed and reached his right hand up with wand ready and tapped the small sign. The letters silently changed to read 'open,' and Ollivander stepped away from the door. It seemed to him a bad sign that Black was on the loose and for Jack to be back in London, it only made it all seem worse. Walking back to his place behind the counter he rested his chin on the palm of his hand and silently hoped that what he feared was a bad omen would only turn out to be an old wizard's foolish thinking.


	11. Chapter 10

Jack and the rest of the team made their way back to the hotel in relative silence. They all were taking in the words the wizard had told Jack, and none were quite ready to ask their leader the questions they were all wanting answers to. Several hours had passed and the sun had set by the time Daniel finally decided to break the silence.

"What did Ollivander mean by 'gift,' Jack?" With feigned smile Jack shook his head and sat up from his seat on the double bed in Daniel and Teal'c's hotel room.

"I knew you'd be the one to ask." Jack was silent for a few seconds before saying anything else. "When I was in my last year at Hogwart's I started to have these dreams, at least I thought they were dreams. I would see things that didn't make much sense at the time. People were fighting, dying, killing each other in these dreams. I started to think I was losing my mind. They were people I knew, only everyone was older. I saw Voldemort come to power, and try to destroy everyone. Eventually, I went to one of the professors at the school, one I really trusted, and I told him about the dreams. I told him every detail. I thought he'd tell me they were just nightmares, but he seemed to think there was something to them."

...flashback...

"Am I going crazy, professor?"

Jack watched as the wizard ran his fingers over his lengthy beard before responding. "I don't believe that is the case. We can learn much from our dreams. They are the window to our souls, many would say."

"So you're saying my soul is full of death and destruction?!"

The professor brought his hand up and gently placed on Jack's shoulder. "No child. That is not what I am saying at all. The things you are seeing could come to pass, or perhaps they are a warning so that something such as that does not occur."

"How do I make them stop? I don't want to see them anymore." Sinking to his knees Jack buried his head in his hands and wept.

The pain of the last few nightmares had taken its toll and the young wizard was ready to give up. All the images from his dreams were beginning to more and more effect his everyday life, he'd even begun to see the images when he was awake. He'd see them as he walked to class, or even in class, and it was slowly wearing him down.

The professor gently pulled Jack to his feet and sat him down in chair beside his desk. "Wait here a moment."

He quickly scurried away out of the office and down the hall, leaving Jack alone to survey his surroundings. It wasn't the first time Jack had been in this office, but it was the first time he'd been able to really look at the things inside it. He'd always known the wizard was more powerful than many of the students realized, but sitting in his office at that moment he began to realize just how powerful Albus Dumbledore truly was. A few minutes later Dumbledore returned with a small bottle in hand gave it Jack.

"Take this. It should help you sleep tonight. You'll sleep without the dreams and I want you to come see me tomorrow."

...end flashback...

"I slept that night, but it didn't stop the dreams. They came anyway. This time they were a hundred times worse. I woke up wishing I were dead. My roommates called for the headmaster and I was taken to the hospital wing. I stayed there for three days, and when I was released I thought I had really lost my mind. I was like a zombie. The images were everywhere, in food I ate, the books I tried to read. It was so bad I stopped going to class. The headmaster wanted to send me to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Most everyone in my house thought I had really lost my mind. Then one day the dreams just stopped. To this day I don't understand it, but they did. They were just gone. A few years later everything with Voldemort started. As things unfolded I remembered my dreams and I realized they were really happening. I had a few more dreams or visions, whatever you wanna call them, as the years went by, and almost all of them ended up coming true. Even when James and Lily died, I saw it happen before it actually did."

Jack sighed heavily and looked up at Daniel and the others. He wasn't sure he wanted to see their response to his latest admission, but to his surprise the looks on their faces were not of disgust or contempt, but of understanding and acceptance.

"No one believed you?" Carter asked as she straightened up in her seat on the opposite bed.

"Not until afterwards, but by then it was too late. I'd already joined Voldemort. Oddly enough, Voldemort was the only one that did believe me, probably because I was saying he'd have tremendous power. Either that or he thought I'd eventually be able to control the visions and help him gain more power."

"From what you have told us of this Voldemort, it is likely he wished to use you for both purposes." Teal'c's voice seemed to boom across the room.

"I don't doubt that, T."

"Jack, what about Dumbledore? You said he didn't know you were working both sides of the war. Did he know you're gift was real?"

Jack turned to Daniel and shrugged his shoulders. "I think he may have, but I doubt if he was sure. I mean I was really out of it. Like I said, everyone thought I was crazy."

"But you weren't."

Rolling his eyes Jack shook his head at Daniel. "That's true, but afterwards not everyone was sure about that. Even when the things I saw started happening, people started to say that I was causing it rather than believe I was really able to see the future."

"That's insane. How could they say that?"

"Think about it Danny? I joined forces with the very person I said would try and take over. As far as most were concerned, I wasn't seeing the future as much as warning others not to oppose him and telling them what we were capable of."

Daniel shook his head in disbelief along with Carter. "I guess I see your point, but it still seems odd."

"I think part of it had to do with what house I was in."

Carter raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What do you mean, sir?"

"I told you about the school and the different houses...well, my house has a reputation for putting out bad wizards and witches. Almost everyone that's come through our house has done something most would consider horrible or devious, during the war most joined Voldemort. The were very few that didn't."

"So because they had a reputation, you were all just considered bad?" Carter was shaking her head furiously, not understanding how that could be.

"Yes, Carter. That's just how it was."

"That's not fair. Not all of you were bad." Daniel nodded in agreement with Carter and Jack sighed again, this time more heavily than before.

"No, we weren't, but to get into our house you have to show a penchant for being a bit devious and that tends to make people think the wrong things."

The forlorn look on Jack's face made the others sigh and it began to make at least a modicum of sense to the team just what Jack had been through, and what it was costing him to be back here.

"What will you do now, O'Neill?" The all turned as Teal'c's voice boomed across the room.

"I'd like to pay that idiot Malfoy a visit, but I know it isn't safe enough for that." Jack's voice was strained and there was a hint of rage that they could all tell he was holding back. "I think you should all go home."

"We already covered this, Jack. We're not leaving you alone here. If you stay, we stay, you go, we go."

With a half-smile Jack nodded at Daniel. "Alright, I give up. We'll all go home, but first I want to make a quick stop."


	12. Chapter 11

The next morning they had rented a car and Jack had driven them through the countryside. No one was certain of their destination, but the tension of their leader's face seem to grow as they drove on. By late afternoon they had arrived at a small river overlooking a several large hills. Jack parked the car and everyone followed him out of the vehicle.

"Take your gear. We probably won't need it, but just in case." Jack handed one backpack to Daniel and then took one for himself. Quickly and quietly Carter and Teal'c grabbed their own and readied themselves.

"Where are we, Jack?"

"About three miles from Hogwart's. I won't be able to drive us any closer without setting off the charms they have protecting the school."

"What are we doing here, sir?" Carter asked as he adjusted the strap on her pack and the team began to move forward.

"I have to see if Sirius Black was really here. Everyone thinks he's after the boy, but I want to know what he's really doing here, if he actually is here."

Without another word, Jack took point and led the team across a small bridge to the other side of the river and then moved them through the hills. It hadn't escaped them that Jack's wand was at his side the entire time, and even Teal'c seemed on edge as they moved closer to the school.

The sun was just starting to set, and the rain was pouring, as they reached the well-trodden path that led directly to the school. Jack could just make out the figures of the dementors guarding the path and he bit back a curse. There were sounds coming from a distance, and they sounded almost like a quidditch match in process and Jack smiled.

"We're gonna take a detour, team. Let's go this way." Jack pointed to their left and Teal'c led the way, going towards the sound.

"Was I the only one that felt that back there, Jack?" Daniel asked as they moved through the trees.

Before Jack could respond and orange blob came screeching towards Jack's head and he just managed to duck as swooshed past him. Turning his head he saw the creature clearly and shook his head, while the others were catching their breath.

"And who might you be, kitty?" Jack reached a hand tentatively towards the tabby cat, but it wouldn't come close enough to him.

Jack felt the new presence before he heard the familiar voice speak, but when he heard it he smiled and slowly turned around with his wand in hand. "Crookshanks, he won't hurt you."

"Don't think she likes me." Jack countered as he took a step back from the now hissing feline.

Teal'c and Carter had taken up defensive positions on either side of the intruder, and Daniel was standing to get out of the way if anything unexpected happened.

"She's a good judge of character usually, but she doesn't take to Slytherins all that well." Sirius Black laughed softly as he stepped closer to Jack, his emaciated frame looking ready to crumble to the ground.

"You look like hell, Siri. I'd heard you were here, but couldn't believe you'd actually try and kill your own godson."

"Heaven's NO! I'm here for Peter."

"What?! He's dead."

Sirius laughed, the laugh of crazed man and shook his head. "That's what everyone was supposed to think, that little rat actually outsmarted me. He was the one that blew up that street and killed those people, then he transformed before I could get to him. He even left his little finger behind so everyone would think I did it. Never thought he had it in him."

Jack shook his head in disbelief and disgust. "That little bastard got away with it! How do you know he's here?"

"I saw him in the bloody Daily Prophet! He was sitting on the Weasley boy's shoulder. As many times as we transformed together, I'd know him anywhere."

Jack and Sirius were so involved in their conversation they hardly noticed Daniel step forward and Crookshanks move closer and wrap herself around the linguist's leg. Only when Daniel bend down to pick up the cat, did both wizards turn around.

"These are some friends of mine."

"Muggles. I guess you really did get far away from our world."

Jack sighed and nodded proceeded to introduce his team. "This is Major Carter, Dr. Daniel Jackson, and Murray."

"Pleasure to meet you, though I must apologize for my appearance. I broke out of prison several weeks ago."

Daniel smirked and nodded. "I can imagine being on the run makes it difficult to keep up appearances."

Sirius laughed softly and turned to Jack. "I like this one. Where'd you find him?"

"Long story. Maybe I'll tell you sometime. Right now you should be trying to get as far from here as possible. If you haven't noticed, there are dementors everywhere."

"I had noticed, but I won't leave until I know Harry is safe. I owe James and Lily that much."

"That's insane! You're bound to be caught. Even if you stay transformed, you can't avoid them forever."

Sirius opened his mouth to speak and the shouting from the distance grew louder. "Sounds like the match is getting good. It's Ravenclaw and Slytherin."

"Are they good this year?"

"Not too bad. Although Gryffindor is going to take the Cup. Young Harry is an amazing seeker. Better than James, I think."

Jack laughed. "That's hard to believe. That man was practically born on a broomstick."

"The dementors are back that way, how about we take a peek." The rain continued to pour down and Jack motioned for the team to move.

Sirius moved behind them with Crookshanks by his side and they moved closer to the cheering sounds of the quidditch match. Once they were close enough to hear the announcer giving play-by-play, Sirius surprised them all by transforming into his Animangi form.

"Damn it, Siri! Warn me next time. My friends aren't exactly used to this."

Sirius growled, snorted and then moved past the team to get a better look at the match. They was enough rain to block anyone from noticing them, and Jack motioned for them to get a bit closer. They were standing just behind the stands with a nice view of the field, and all of them were mesmerized by the action as the teams swooped and streamed through the air.

Jack's eyes were focused on the Slytherin seeker as he moved through the lightly drizzling rain, dropping low and high trying to find the golden snitch. Suddenly an eerily cold feeling came over him and he could tell by his teams stillness that they felt it as well. Looking back he could see five or six dementors coming towards them. He cast a glance towards the trees and saw Sirius and Crookshanks running away.

No one in the stand seemed to notice the dementors coming towards the stadium, or at least Jack was sure no one had, until he looked up and saw Albus Dumbledore peering down from the stands in his direction. Quickly he gathered his team and pushed them into the cover of darkness and trees just behind the stadium. He could see the dementors floating around above them and Jack did his best to hide among the trees that were around them. He kept Sirius in sight for as long as he could, but lost him as the rain clouded his vision.

"Damn! I lost him!" Jack shouted more to himself than anyone else, as he came to a halt at the path they had been at before Sirius had found them.

"Jack, what are we gonna do?" Daniel asked as he stepped up behind Jack.

Shaking his head Jack motioned them to get down. He could see two dementors coming towards them and pulled his wand out. As they drew closer he felt the coldness surround him and his hand began to shake ever so slightly. The rest of the team did as Jack order and crouched down on the ground as the dementor got closer. They couldn't see what Jack was seeing but they could feel the coldness and numbness surround them and they looked to each other wondering what it was.

"Expecto Patronum!" Jack's stood and his voice echoed into the night as he pointed his wand and the creatures and a white light erupted from his wand and moved rapidly towards the two dementors.

Daniel and the others watched in silence as the light traveled from Jack's wand on down the path. They were amazed at how bright the light was and were relieved as it seemed to drive away the cold numbness they were feeling.

Jack collapsed to his knees and his wand fell to the ground beside him. Daniel was the first to his side and Teal'c and Carter followed almost as quickly.

"What did you just do?" Jack looked up trying to focus on Daniel's words but he couldn't seem to, and his eyes slowly drifted shut. "Jack!"

"Come on! We have to get him away from here. Follow me!" The team turned to see Sirius Black just behind them and steadily moving closer.

Teal'c took a protective step between his comrades and the Sirius, and the wizard stopped in his tracks.

"Come no further!"

"I want to help him as much as you do. That spell just took a lot out of him. If you come with me, you'll be safe. I promise." Teal'c seem to study the other man's eyes for a moment before quickly turning and picking Jack up and letting the wizard lead the way.

They moved swiftly through the trees in the darkness, and didn't stop until they were a few yards from a large tree. Sirius turned around to face them.

"I'll have to transform for a moment. When I signal you, it'll be safe to follow me."

Teal'c nodded and they watched in awe as Sirius stepped away from them and quickly transformed. The large K-9 eased his way forward, and it was then that they noticed Crookshanks just beside the tree trunk. Branches on the tree began to sway rather violently as Sirius neared the tree. Both the cat and the dog seemed to disappear into the tree trunk for a moment and the tree stilled. Then the dog popped his head up from the tree trunk and barked. Teal'c took that as a sign to follow and he and the rest of the team moved towards the tree. It was a tight fit, but they managed to squeeze through the opening in the trunk and followed Sirius and Crookshanks through the underground tunnel.

"There's a cot upstairs. You can put Jack there." Sirius said as he transformed back into his human form and led them into the Shrieking Shack.

Teal'c obeyed and carried the still limp form of their team leader up the small flight of stairs, leaving Daniel and Carter alone with Sirius.

"What was that back there? I mean what did Jack do?" Daniel asked waving his arms in the air.

"I forget muggles can't see dementors." Sirius sighed. "Jack used a spell to ward off those creatures. Had they got any closer they probably would have taken him for me."

"What do you mean? Jack told us about the dementors. Why can't we see them?"

"Not really sure actually. Something about the way muggles think, I suppose. You're brains are wired to see certain things. I don't doubt you felt them though. A cold, dark feeling, like your world was nothing but sadness and pain?" Carter and Daniel nodded.

"That's what that was?" Carter shook her head at the thought as she leaned against the wall.

"Yes."

"Why did that spell take so much out of Jack?"

Sirius turned to Carter and lowered his head. "It's complicated. The dementors feed off of a person's good feelings. They leave you with nothing but your worst memories. Jack's worst memories are enough to drive most wizards to madness. Being around the dementors probably overwhelmed him." Sirius could see the concerned look on Jack's friend's faces and he gave them a reassuring look. "He'll be fine once he wakes up. I'm sure of it...um, you haven't any chocolate have you?"

Carter raised an eyebrow at the curious question and reached into her pack, pulled out a small bar and handed to Sirius. "What do you need that for?"

"Oddly enough it helps to get over the effects of a dementor. I'll take some to Jack. If you have more, it wouldn't hurt to eat a bite or two."

Doing as Sirius suggested Daniel pulled the chocolate bar out of his own pack and split it with Carter as Sirius made his way up the steps to where Teal'c and Jack were.


	13. Chapter 12

Before he opened his eyes he could hear the pitter-patter of rain outside and he slowly opened his eyes to gauge his surroundings. The place looked familiar but he couldn't quite place it, and a familiar voice made him turn his head.

"Welcome back. You've been out for almost an hour. I was getting worried." Sirius stepped forward and handed Jack a chocolate bar.

Jack broke off a piece and popped it into this mouth. "I'd forgotten just how much those damned things effected me."

"Rather like Harry, you are. He's fainted each time he's encountered those bloody creatures."

"Where's my team?" Jack asked as he ran a hand through his graying hair.

"There downstairs getting some rest of their own. I told them I'd watch you for a bit."

Jack nodded and slowly tried to sit up. His body still felt weak and he stuffed another piece of chocolate in his mouth and chewed on it as he dragged himself to a sitting position.

"So you've been hiding in this old place?"

"No one would think to look here. It's haunted after all." Sirius and Jack both laughed, knowing the truth of how the Shrieking Shack came to be thought of as haunted.

"You know Remus is here, don't you?"

Sirius nodded. "I've seen him. I wish I could have told him the whole truth back then. He doesn't even know about Peter. I'm sure he thinks I betrayed James and Lily."

"He does. He came to see me just before the beginning of term and told me as much. Said he wanted to warn me that you'd escaped. As far as he knows, you're here to kill Harry." Jack lowered his head and turned away and Sirius shook his head furiously.

"It's not fair! We all lost so much. Our friends, family, all because of..." Sirius trailed off, the bitterness clear in his voice.

"I know, Siri. It sucks, but there's little we can do about it now. We can't change what happened, but we can try and make it right now."

"How do you suppose we accomplish that?" There was a mocking tone in Sirius voice as he looked Jack square in the eye waiting for a response.

"While I was unconscious, I got an idea. You need help here if you want to try and catch Peter," Sirius shook his head as if to say he wasn't trying to catch him. "Don't even try to lie, Siri. I know you far better than that. You want him dead as much as I do, but to do it you'll need help. My friends and I can do that. At least I'm pretty sure we can. If we can catch Peter then we have a way to save the both of us. He's the only proof that neither of us is guilty."

Sirius nodded as Jack's words began to sink in. They made sense even though part of him wanted nothing more than to kill the sniveling traitor for what he'd done to those he'd called his friends. He listened as Jack unveiled his plan of attack, and nodded in agreement as the rain outside continued to fall.

A few minutes later Teal'c walked up the stairs and stuck his head inside the room to check on his friend. He saw Jack and Sirius taking quietly together and knocked to make his presence known.

"T-Murray." Jack caught himself before he slipped and waved his friend inside. "Where are Carter and Daniel?"

"They are resting downstairs. Are you well?" Teal'c stepped closer and Sirius nodded to both men as he made his exit.

"I'm fine. Good as new." With grin Jack stood up to show that was truly alright.

"We were concerned when you did not awaken as quickly as SiriusBlack thought you would."

"Those damned dementors were a little more than I expected." Jack sighed and sat back down, motioning for Teal'c to join him. "Listen, I need you, Daniel and Carter to help me out with something..."

Jack told Teal'c his plan and the Jaffa nodded in approval and silently left the room to ponder the situation and ready himself and the rest of the team for what was to come.

The next morning Jack and the other woke to find Sirius gone, and as Jack gave them all their orders for his plan to work, they each set out to finish their tasks. It would be a week or so before the plan could be put into place. Jack had found out from Sirius that Peter was hiding from Crookshanks, but Sirius was sure they would soon find the little rat...and they did.

Three days later, with the help of Crookshanks, Jack and Sirius had found Peter, but unfortunately he slipped through their fingers and back into hiding before they could catch him. The plan was nearly perfect, but Peter proved to be more determined than either had anticipated. Jack was set to hatch another plan when his team brought up something he had forgotten.

"Sir, we have to be back on base. There's no way we can stay more than another night."

Carter's words rang in his ears and he bit back a curse. "Maybe I can get Hammond to give me a little more time."

Daniel shook his head at Jack. "He already gave us almost two weeks. He wants us ready to work by the time we get back."

"How do you know that?"

"Jack, we've been in contact with him since we left. We were only supposed to have three days, but he agreed to giving us the rest of this week. While you were busy working with Sirius, we've been telling him we were getting closer to figuring things out."

Jack stared open-mouthed as his teammates nodded back at him. "I...I didn't realize."

"O'Neill, our flight departs at 0900 tomorrow morning. We must go back."

He sighed as Teal'c did his usual eyebrow raise and waited for him to respond. "I can't leave now. We're so close."

"Jack, you have a life outside of this. You've helped me tremendously. I should be able to draw Peter out. He can't stay hidden for too long. Crookshanks and I will be just fine. Go home, if you can then come back, but don't worry about me."

"How can I not worry, Siri. You're surrounded by dementors, trying to catch Peter by yourself." Crookshanks hissed at Jack and he turned to smile at her. "Sorry girl. I guess he's not all alone."

The feline purred softly and Sirius smiled as she moved next to Jack and let him stroke her back. "She seems to have taken to you quite well."

"Are you sure you'll be alright?"

"Like I said. Don't worry. You've done more than anyone else would have. Go back where you'll be safe. I'll send an owl if I really need you."

With a heavy sigh Jack stroked Crookshanks fur one last time and then reached a hand out to Sirius. They shook hands and Jack pulled the wizard into an embrace that startled him.

"I may not be able to come back for a bit, but I will be back to help you. Just stay safe. Don't take any chances that you don't need to."

"No worries, Jack. I'll be fine. Aren't I always?" Sirius grinned wildly and Jack rolled his eyes.

He didn't want to leave, but he knew his life in the States was every bit as important as the life he had here. Risking one for the other wouldn't help him, or anyone else for that matter. Reluctantly he turned back to his team and began to walk away.

It took everything in him to get on the plane the next morning and leave Sirius behind. His heart was screaming that it was wrong and he should stay, but his head told him that he needed to go back, that he owed Hammond and the SGC at least that much.

As the plane took off, Jack closed his eyes and tried to think about anything but the friend he was walking away from. He knew Sirius didn't see it that way, but everything in Jack told him that was exactly what he was doing, and not for the first time.

His eyes drifted shut and an image flashed before him that shook him to the core. There were dementors everywhere, flying above and around Sirius. A boy was leaning over Sirius prone frame, and he was screaming, trying to stop it but he couldn't. The dementors were too many, and the boy fell, still clutching onto his wand.

With a jolt Jack opened his eyes and was surprised to see Teal'c and Daniel standing over him looking visably shaken.

"What happened, Jack?" Daniel looked worried and Jack blinked up at him and shook his head.

"What are you talking about?"

"The flight attendant was ready to have the pilot turn the plane around. You were shouting about Sirius and Harry for several minutes. No one could rouse you." Jack shook his head at Daniel in denial and the younger man nodded. "I'm not lying, Jack. Why do you think everyone is looking over here?"

Curiously, Jack peeked his head around the seat and noticed that several eyes were focused in his direction, and he hung his head.

"It was just a dream...a bad dream. I'm fine."

"Isn't that my line?"

"What?"

"'I'm fine.' That's usually my line."

Jack smiled half-heartedly and nodded. "I suppose so."

The rest of the flight was uneventful, but the images were burned in his mind. He wasn't sure if it was his 'sight' or if it was just his subconscious playing tricks on him, but more than ever he knew he had to get back to Sirius, and soon.

Less than 24 hours after he had reported in at Cheyenne Mountain, Jack pulled the General aside. "General Hammond, can I have a word?"

Colonel O'Neill looked straight into his CO's eyes and the older man knew something was different about his 2IC. "What is it, Jack?" Hammond asked as soon as they were safely in his office, with the door closed.

"I need some more time off. I can't explain why, but this something I have to do."

"Tell me why and I'll consider it." Jack shook his head and General Hammond sighed. "I can't just agree to this without a reason."

"It's complicated."

"Does it have to do with your missing time?"

"In a way it does, and it doesn't. If I could explain it I would, but I can't." Hammond brought his hand to his forehead.

"I'm sorry, son. I can't approve it."

Jack hung his head, looking defeated. "Fine."

"Dismissed." Without another word Jack stood and let himself out of the office. He knew he might regret what he was about to do, but as far as he was concerned he had no real choice. Leaving Sirius alone wasn't an option anymore, and saving Harry was far more important than anything else.

He walked back down the hall and into his office. He took a moment to fumble around his desk and took a seat with a pen and paper in in hand. Slowly he began to write and didn't stop for several minutes. When he was finished he folded the piece of paper and left it in the middle of his desk.

Taking a few things from his right side drawer, he grabbed his jacket, got up and walked out. A few people stared at him curiously as he went topside, but he ignored them as he left the mountain and got into his truck. He managed to get back to his house before a familiar sounding car pulled into his driveway and there was a knock on his front door.

"I know you're planning to leave, but don't you dare think you're going alone." Jack shook his head at Daniel as the younger man stepped inside the house completely uninvited.

"You really are insane, aren't you Daniel?" The younger man rolled his eyes and smiled.

"If that's the best you can come up with to stop me-"

"Don't worry." Jack raised his hand and cut Daniel off. "I know you well enough to know when to argue and when not to."

"So when are we leaving?"

"I have flight out in about an hour."

Daniel sighed. "I guess that doesn't leave me much time to pack."

"You mean you actually unpacked?"

Both men laughed at Jack's quip and Daniel nodded. "Okay, so I guess the better way to put that would have been 'it doesn't leave me much time to pick up my bag.'"

"And you call yourself a linguist?"

An hour later both men were seated on the plane and Jack turned to Daniel and stared at him. The younger man shook his head in response.

"You look like you want to say something. Spit it out."

Jack sighed. "Why are you here?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean why are you here and not Carter or Teal'c?"

Daniel shook his head in disbelief. "Are you saying you don't want me here?"

"Not at all. I'm just curious."

"Carter could get court-martialed, and Teal'c, well he's got too much invested in the gate, with Ry'ac and Bra'tac. I'm the only one with nothing to lose."

Jack shook his head to disagree. "You have as much to lose as any of us. The gate is your life as much as it is mine, Carter's or T's."

"That may be so, but you're my friend. I'm not going to let you go into a potentially dangerous situation without at least some back-up. You wouldn't let me do it, and I won't let you."


	14. Chapter 13

Jack and Daniel had barely made it out of the airport and into their hotel in London when they saw the owl seated just outside the window. Shaking his head Daniel went and opened the window and the little creature hopped inside dropping small envelope on the desk beside Jack

_Jack,_

_I'm not certain this letter will make it safely to you, but I've heard news that the dementors have been granted permission to use the Dementor's Kiss on Black as soon as they find him. I know he was your friend, and with all of the bustle going on at Hogsmeade and the school, I'm certain he will be caught quite soon, though I hope it is before he does anything to the boy. I must keep this short in case it is intercepted. Take care. Keep in touch if you can._

_Ollivander_

Daniel watched as Jack's expression change as he read the letter. The older man sighed heavily and then sat down on the edge of the bed with the letter still in hand.

"What is it, Jack?" Jack sighed heavily and handed the note to Daniel. As the younger man read it he raised an eyebrow curiously. "What exactly is the Dementor's Kiss?"

"It's when they suck out your soul."

"They kill you?"

"No, you can live without a soul, it just isn't much of an existence." Jack looked up at Daniel who was now standing mere inches from him. "I've seen it happen once..."

...Flashback...

"Calm down, Severus. There's nothing we can do to stop this. Just get a hold of yourself." Jack brought his hands up to rest on Severus' shoulders and the younger man took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"This just isn't fair, Jack. How can all this be happening? I thought those bloody creatures were..." His voice trailed off and Jack shook his head.

"They're not on anyone's side. They want to survive as much as any other creature out there. If helping Voldemort achieves that goal, that's exactly what they're going to do. There's nothing good about a dementor."

Severus nodded and then lowered his head. "What are they going to do with the Longbottoms and Dearborn?"

"If I know Bellatrix, she'll torture them a bit longer and then let the dementors have their way with them."

"She wouldn't let them..." Severus paused, not wanting to say what he was thinking.

"You know that witch as well as I do. She would, and she will." Jack was about to say more when a familiar voice made them both turn.

"She'll what?"

Both men cringed at the sight of Rudolphus Lestrange standing in the doorway with a maniacal grin on his face.

"Just commenting on your dear wife's vicious side. She has quite a knack for brutality." Jack smirked as he tightened his grip on Severus' shoulder.

Rudolphus smile grew wider at the mention of his wife and he nodded. "Yes, it's quite lovely isn't it?"

"That's one way to describe it." Severus had to take another deep breath once the words left his mouth and Lestrange turned to leave.

Jack waited until Lestrange was down the hall and then carefully closed the door to the small room he and Severus were in. "That man is almost as bad as his wife."

"No one is as bad as Bella, she probably makes the Dark Lord himself cringe." Both laughed, but it was defeated sounding laugh, and it stopped abruptly as they heard another scream coming from down the hall.

They knew she was torturing their prisoners, and the thought that they could do nothing to stop it sickened them both.

"No one should have to go through that."

"There has to be something we can do."

"Without risking both our lives? I highly doubt it." Severus jerked away from Jack and slammed his fist against the wall. Gently, Jack rested his hand on Severus forearm and turned him back around to face him. "Maybe there is something."

Severus could tell the wheels were turning in Jack's head and raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Jack didn't speak, but he pulled the other wizard by the arm and dragged him out of the room and down hall away from where Bellatrix was torturing her victims.

"What are you doing, Jack?" Snape whispered as they moved through the dark corridors.

Jack motioned for Severus to quiet himself and the two kept moving. Casting a glance over his shoulder, Jack stopped in front of large oak door and hefted it open with Severus' help. Once inside Jack scanned the room and then began to speak.

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do. You're my brother. What does that have to do with anything?"

Jack let out a shaky breath. "I have an idea, but you'll have to trust me. Neither one of us wants to help Voldemort, but you have a better chance of getting information to Dumbledore so we can stop this damned war."

For a moment Severus thought about what Jack was saying and then vehemently shook his head in disagreement. "I can't believe you're suggesting this!"

"Dumbledore can keep you safe. If you give him the right information, we can end all of this."

"How are we supposed to accomplish this?" Snape growled as he continued to shake his head.

"You're going to help the Longbottoms and Dearborn escape, while I cause a distraction."

"What sort of distraction? If they catch either of us, we'll be killed."

"I'm a sneaky bastard, remember." Jack smiled deviously and Severus frowned in confusion.

A few minutes later both men left through the heavy oak door, Jack went to the left and Severus went to the right, back towards Bellatrix and Rudolphus. Slowly he made his way to the door where the two death eaters were and he eased it open.

Frank was gritting his teeth in pain as Alice cried and begged the Lestranges to stop. The sight made Severus want to vomit but took a breath and went inside, making them turn as he shut the door behind him.

"What are you doing here, Snape? Come to watch a true master at work?" Bellatrix shrill voice echoed off the walls as she pointed at the two wizards in pain in front of her. "Crucio!"

Again Frank was racked with pain, and Severus stifled a groan of disgust. "You do enjoy your work, Bella."

"Of course, Severus. Pain is beauty. It is an art few understand fully, but I do." Bellatrix laughed as she pulled her wand away and watched as Frank slumped over, his knees touching the ground.

"Care to try, Snape?" Rudolphus asked, but Severus shook his head.

"No, I think your wife is doing a superb job." For a moment that was nearly his undoing, Severus glanced over at Frank and Alice Longbottom and the horror on their faces made him blink.

He turned away just as the Lestranges raised their wands for one final attempt at using the Cruciatus Curse. The Longbottoms screams pained him, but he held back waiting for Jack's distraction. Severus cringed as their faces contorted and their shouts began to wane, until finally Alice closed her eyes, and Frank let out a blood-curdling scream that made Snape fall back against the wall.

Finally, an alarm went off throughout the corridors and Snape readied himself to free the Longbottoms.

"What's going on?" Rudolphus shouted as he looked away from the Longbottoms, and allowed the curse to stop.

Bellatrix did the same and turned first to Snape and then to her husband. "Someone has triggered the alarms. Perhaps one of their friends is trying to rescue them."

She pointed to the two prone figures on the floor and her husband grabbed her by the arm and she reluctantly followed, telling Severus to keep an eye on the prisoners. Once the Lestranges were far enough away, Severus moved towards the still unconscious couple. Frank opened his eyes briefly and instinctively and protectively reached for his wife.

"I won't hurt you or your Alice. I'm going to get you out of here." Seeing that neither was in any shape to move, he used his wand to levitate them and pulled them along behind him as he slipped out of the room and back to the heavy oak door where Jack was waiting for him.

"My God! What did that bitch do to them?!" Caradoc Dearborn's voice echoed through the room as he saw his friends being levitated into the room.

"It doesn't matter. We have to get all of you out of here." Jack brought his hand up to silence Dearborn as he shut the door behind Severus and locked it tightly.

"What are we going to do now?" Snape asked as he set the Longbottoms' bodies on the nearby table.

"There's a passageway behind that wall hanging." Jack pointed to a large tapestry coving half the wall behind them and went over and yanked it down to reveal a doorway. "I remember Narcissa showing it to me when we were children. It goes all the way out of the property and comes out a mile past the gate." Jack fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a wand. He thrust it into Dearborn's hand. "Take this. Severus go with them. You two can get the Longbottoms to safety and I'll tell the others that you were taken as a hostage."

"You can't be serious. That'll never work. How are you going to convince them of that? Are you going to tell them you let us get away?" Caradoc's words made sense and Jack shook his head.

"I don't know, but I'll think of something. Just get going. We don't have time to argue."

"I'm not leaving you here, Jack. I won't." Severus pointed his wand at Jack, and the other wizard smiled.

"Hex me."

"Are you mad?!" Severus practically shouted and Jack dropped his wand to the floor.

"Do it! They'll never know I let you get away. Use a curse, a hex, something. Incapacitate me and they'll think that one of them did it to get away." Jack pointed to Dearborn and the Longbottoms.

Severus paused a moment and Dearborn groaned in disgust. "If you won't, I will."

Caradoc raised the wand in his hand, but Severus reached a hand up to stop him. "I'll do it."

With the wand in his left hand opened his mouth to speak, but was stopped when something hit the door. "Damn! They found us!"

"Caradoc, get Frank and Alice out of here. Sev, hurry up and do something, so you can follow them."

Severus tried to speak, but couldn't find the words. Finally, Dearborn shoved the other wizard aside and pointed his wand at him. "Imperio!"

"No!" Angrily Severus raised his wand to Dearborn and the other wizard shook his head.

"I'll not hurt him too badly, now take the Longbottoms through the passageway. I'll follow you."

Reluctantly, Snape glanced at his brother and then at Dearborn and solemnly nodded, as he turned to the two bodies still unconscious on the table. "Mobilicorpus."

With the incantation, the bodies lifted and he moved them through the passageway and followed them.

"Sorry about this, lad. You did a good thing letting us go." Caradoc's voice was all Jack could here and he nodded. "Now when those Death Eater's come in here we're going to fight them off so that Frank and Alice have a chance to get to safety."

"Yes." Jack's voice was hollow and forced as he bent down and picked up his wand. Caradoc used his wand to put the tapestry back in place and seal the doorway. A moment later the door came crashing down and Dearborn and Jack fought side by side as the death eaters surrounded them.

The two wizards fought for several minutes until Caradoc fell to the ground after being hit by Bellatrix' Cruciatus Curse, thus breaking the Imperius Curse he held over Jack. Jolted from Dearborn's loss of control, Jack stumbled forward into the Lestranges.

"What the hell!?" He shouted as he tried to gather himself enough to stand.

"They escaped! How could you let this happen, Corrigan?!" Bellatrix' voice made everyone cringe but Jack stood his ground and glared at the woman.

"I'm not bloody invincible. That one cursed me before I had a chance to react."

"Where's Snape?" Lucius Malfoy asked as he entered the room slightly out of breath.

"The Longbottoms took him."

Bellatrix nearly screamed as her fists came down across the table beside her. "Impossible!"

"Bella my love-"

"Shut up, Rudolphus! Those two were barely alive when we left. How could they have walked out on their own? It's not possible!"

Jack shook his head. "Maybe you're not as good as you think you are?"

"Maybe you'd like to find out." Bellatrix' voice was full of venom and the others in the room backed away from her except for Jack.

He stood nose to nose with her, almost daring her to try something. Finally her husband took her by the arm and led her out of the room, leaving Jack to watch the others take Caradoc Dearborn away, until Lucius and Jack were the only two in the room.

"You really must be a fool to challenge Bella."

"No Lucius, I just don't take kindly to being told I'm responsible for things I'm not. So her little torture monkeys got away, it's not like she won't find more." Jack snorted and shook his head as Lucius motioned for him to go out the door.

"I do wonder about you sometimes, Corrigan. You are truly damaged."

"No, I'm just a bit insane." Both men laughed as they exited the room, and walked down the hall. "What will they do with Dearborn?"

"The dementors will have him of course." Lucius grinned and Jack feigned a smile, as the other wizard rested his hand on Jack's shoulder. "Care to watch?"

Reluctantly Jack nodded and they began to move towards the cell where the Longbottoms had been held. Once inside, Jack saw Caradoc being restrained against the far wall. The wizard gave him a knowing stare that Jack couldn't help but turn away from. A moment later the door opened to reveal two dementors inching their way towards the helpless Dearborn. Jack tried to take a breath, but the lump in his throat prevented it, and he looked back at Caradoc.

"Do you think I'm afraid of these creatures? If you do you're wrong. They can't hurt me, no matter what they do."

"Oh I highly doubt that." Lucius' smirked as he stepped aside to let the dementors pass him.

As they got closer to him, Dearborn kept his eyes focused on Jack and Lucius. When they could no longer see Dearborn's face for the dementor in front of him, Jack let out a sigh and lowered his head. Then a shout made him start and he watched as the dementor lifted his hood. The howl that Caradoc Dearborn let loose was deafening, and then he made no sound at all. Jack watched as the dementor stepped away and a sick feeling overwhelmed him as he saw Dearborn's soulless body lying limp against the wall.

"Too bad Bella missed this. She would have enjoyed it." Everything in Jack wanted to reach out and strangle Lucius, but he took a deep breath to calm himself.

"Are we just going to leave him here like this?"

Lucius paused as if thinking the matter over and then shook his head. "The dementors will dispose of him."

Jack bit back the horror at that thought and slowly followed Lucius out of the room, casting one last glance at Dearborn's body and then shook his head in disgust at himself.

Shaking himself from his memeories, Jack sighed inwardly as he watched Daniel's reflection though the darkened window. "I've never been able to get that image out of my mind, or the sound of him screaming. It was almost inhuman the way he just wailed."

He trembled slightly at the memory as Daniel nervously fidgeted with the button on his shirt. "That sounds awful."

"Yeah, I've never seen anything like it since. No one should ever have to go through that." Jack sighed and leaned back on the bed. "I'll never forget the way Severus looked while he was watching Bellatrix torture the Longbottoms. He had no idea I was there. I could see everything through the opposite wall, where I was freeing Dearborn. That damned woman is the only one I'd actually like to see..."

His voice trailed off shakily and he looked up to see Daniel with his arms wrapped around himself. "What does this mean for Sirius?"

With shake of his head Jack stood up and walked to the window. "I know Sirius cares about Harry, but he's risking everything. If they catch him, I doubt anyone could stop the dementors."

"He feels responsible for what happened, doesn't he?"

"He's not he only one. Harry is my-" Jack paused realizing what he was about to say and then spoke again. "I feel just as responsible as he does."

Daniel raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Your what?"

"What?" Jack smiled and Daniel shook his head as if to say 'I'm on to you.'

"You were about to say something. What was it?"

"Nothing."

"You started to say that Harry was something to you, what is he?"

Jack balked. "He's just important to me that's all."

Daniel wasn't ready to give up on this, but he could tell Jack wasn't going to give in, so he lowered his head and sighed. "Fine. Don't tell me, but you know I'll figure it out eventually."

Jack just smiled and shook his head. "Whatever you say Dr. Jackson."


	15. Chapter 14

_Thanks for all the great feedback everyone has given me so far. I really appreciate it. Here is the next chapter, and I have a couple more just about ready to be posted. Enjoy._

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"Major, where is Colonel O'Neill?" The tension in General Hammond's voice was obvious, and Samantha Carter nervously clasped her hands together as she shook her head.

"I don't know, sir. I haven't seen him since we got out of the briefing yesterday."

"And Dr. Jackson? I suppose you haven't seen or heard from him either?"

Lowering her head slightly she shook her head again. "No I haven't, sir."

Taking a deep breath, the General turned to Teal'c who was standing right beside Carter. "What about you? Have you spoken to either Dr. Jackson or Colonel O'Neill since yesterday?"

"I have not GeneralHammond."

"It's too much of a coincidence that Jack asked for more time off and then disappears when I won't give it to him. Where was he going?"

Teal'c shook his head. "We cannot say for certain."

Hammond ran a hand over his baldhead and sighed heavily. "This is unbelievable. If he wants a court-martial that's exactly what he's going to get. You're both dismissed, and if you happen to be in contact with either of your wayward teammates, let them know that there will be consequences once they're found."

Without another word both Carter and Teal'c took off out of the General's office with as much speed as they could muster and didn't stop until they reached Carter's lab.

"Where are they, Teal'c?"

"I do not know, but I believe that they went back to England."

Carter sighed and brought her hand up to her temple. "This is bad. If the Colonel gets caught he'll be facing a court-martial and possibly serious prison time."

"You are correct, but perhaps we can purchase them time."

"How do you figure we can do that?"

Teal'c cocked his head a little to the left and then raised his eyebrow. "I am not yet certain, but I am hopeful a promising solution will make itself known."

Sam shook her head at the Jaffa's optimism. She only wished she could be that positive, but at the moment all the negative possibilities seemed to be drowning her.

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"You think we'll get there in time?" Daniel asked Jack who was looking out the window of their rental as drops of rain began to pelt across the glass.

"I hope so." The tone of Jack's voice was somber, and Daniel couldn't help but think that Jack wasn't too certain of himself at that moment, that he wasn't too certain of anything.

"Can I ask you something, Jack?"

Jack flipped on the blinkers so he could switch lanes and nodded. "Ask away."

"I was wondering something. You said Snape was your brother, and that you joined the Death Eaters to help him, right?" Again Jack nodded, but this time a bit uneasily. "I guess I'm not seeing how you two could be brothers."

With a sigh Jack turned his head to look at Daniel, and then back at the road. "We're really half-brothers. We have the same father, but different moms."

Jack went silent after his brief explanation and Daniel shrugged his shoulders. "Okay. Is that all you're going to tell me?"

Rolling his eyes Jack shook his head. "I guess folks like you need more info dontcha? Well if you must know. Our father was jerk. He slept with my mom, who also happened to be a witch, and as soon as I was born he made her swear to never tell anyone that he was my father. I ended up living with my mum and her family for a while, until she remarried. She had two other children with my step-dad. My sisters were complete opposites. One of them was witch the other was a squib." Jack noticed Daniel's face make a familiar crinkle at the odd sounding word, and he clarified himself. "A squib is a witch or a wizard that can't do magic. It's a rare thing, but sometimes is happens. Anyway, my 'father', and I use that term lightly, pretty much went on as though I didn't exist.

"I didn't meet Severus until I got to Hogwart's. We were roommates, and we sat next to each other in charms and potions class. That was actually how we figured out we were related. There this charm that basically tells you who your parents are. It's kinda like the wizard's paternity test. It must have been second year when we learned it, and we were practicing in class. We both thought we had messed it up, because it came up saying we had the same father. We even went to the professor to ask him what we'd done wrong. To our surprise, we hadn't done anything wrong." Jack sighed to himself as he remembered that strange day in class, but shook himself back to reality as he noticed Daniel curiously fidgeting in his seat.

"Needless to say we were both shocked. Professor Flitwick thought it was rather amusing. I still remember that little dwarf chuckling as we walked away from his desk. I went back home for the Winter Break and I asked my mum about it. I guess she figured there was no point in lying to me, so she told me everything. She made me promise not to tell him I knew, and I think at that point I really didn't care. I was so used to not having a father it didn't matter to me."

"Weren't you even curious to meet him?" Daniel asked as he adjusted the seatbelt that was slowly beginning to feel a bit tight.

"I did meet him. It was towards the end of the break. Severus invited me to his house. My mother nearly had a heart attack when I told her. She didn't want me to go, but I was always a stubborn child, and I got my grandparents to convince her to let me."

"What was that like?" Daniel watched the emotions play on Jack's face before he answered his questions, and a tinge of regret passed over him.

"That was an experience I'll never forget. It made me glad I wasn't raised with that bastard. I've never seen anyone so cruel and hard-hearted with their own child. From the moment I got there, I noticed Sev was a completely different person around his father. My brother isn't the most sociable person around; in fact he's probably one of the least sociable people I've ever known. When I saw him around his father he was even less sociable. He was so quiet and docile it was actually pretty disturbing. For the first time since we'd met, I felt sorry for Sev."

Jack went on about the first meeting with his father, and Daniel too felt sorry for the man he had yet to meet. He also felt for the man beside him, who despite his best efforts to hide it, was visibly pained by the memory.

"How could he just ignore you both like that?"

"Hell if I know. That's just the way he was I guess. My brother never could stand it. Severin Snape is and always will be just an uncaring bastard."

Jack sighed softly to himself as he slowly pulled the car over. Daniel looked around and realized they were only a block or so from the Leaky Cauldron.

"What are we doing here? I thought we were going to go straight to Hogsmeade?"

"We have to get some supplies first. To do that we need money, wizard money." Daniel nodded curiously as they got out of the car and started up the street.

The walked into the Leaky Cauldron, and on through to Diagon Alley. There was a noticeable uproar of people moving through the streets this time, and couldn't help but be curious about it.

"Why are there so many people here today? Everyone seems on edge."

Without a word Jack pulled Daniel around a corner and pointed to a poster that was hung on the alley wall. "This is why."

The moving images on the parchment showed a maniacal looking Sirius Black laughing wildly and pointing at an unknown figure just out of view. There were words below the picture that read "Black attacks Hogsmeade villagers. Countryside now in fear."

"My god! This is crazy! He wouldn't do that." Jack brought his hand up to quiet the irate archeologist.

"I know that, and you know that, but nobody else does. The Ministry wants him found, and making up stories is the best way to keep people looking for him."

Daniel stared quizzically at Jack. "What exactly is the Ministry? You've mentioned them before, but I just never asked."

Jack snorted and rolled his eyes at his friend's question. "Basically, they're a group of wizards who try to put a bunch of rules in place so other wizards don't go messing with the rest of the world and screwing things up. Unfortunately, they're bureaucratic morons who can't see past their own noses half the time."

"Oh...I see." Daniel nodded in understanding as Jack shook his head and focused back on the road. "If the Ministry is that determined to find him, Sirius won't be safe there for much longer, will he?"

With a sigh Jack shook his head. "No, he won't. If we don't find Peter in the next few days, the Dementors will catch Sirius."

The look of dread was clear on Jack's face as he pulled back from Daniel and looked out into the street where the rest of wizarding world was going by. Though he'd only known Sirius for a short while, Daniel had come to see that he meant a great deal to Jack, and that everything in this seemingly strange world meant a lot to Jack. The expression on the older man's face told Daniel all he needed to know. What ever he could do to help Jack save Sirius, he was going to do.

"So where do we get the money?"

"Gringott's. It's the wizard bank a few blocks down. There's only one problem. I need you to go in and get it."

Daniel glared at Jack curiously, and raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Why me?"

"Well, I can almost guarantee that I'll be recognized if I go in and ask for my own money, and seeing as I'm still wanted I figured that wouldn't be a good thing."

"How can I be of any help?"

"All you have to do is go in with the key to my vault and say you're my nephew. They won't question it, at least they shouldn't. You can get what we need and get back out easily."

With a sigh Daniel shrugged his shoulders. "Are you sure this will work?"

"Positive."

"I can't do magic, what if-"

Jack smirked as he cut the younger man off. "I promise you won't have to do anything but give them the key. No magic involved. Even if you did, all you'd have to do is tell them you're a squib, and that would be it."

Shaking his head Daniel followed Jack out of the alley and down the street. They stopped a few yards from Gringott's where Jack handed Daniel the key and gave him instructions on what to do and how much to take out, and then quickly he walked down the street a bit. He watched as Daniel entered the building and leaned back against the wall and waited.

Inside, Daniel was nervously fidgeting with the sleeve of his jacket as he approached the counter. The creature glared at him as he handed the key over, but he managed to keep himself calm as the goblin passed the key to another who motioned for him to follow.

The goblin led him to what looked like a mining cart and waited for him to take a seat inside it. Once he had the creature started the cart moving down the long dark tunnel. The movement was making Daniel a bit nauseas but he took a few deep breaths, willing his stomach to calm itself.

"Vault number 694." The high-pitched sound of the goblin's voice brought Daniel's head up and he nodded and slowly removed himself from the cart.

The goblin opened the vault and Daniel slowly stepped inside. His jaw hit ground as several piles of gold and silver appeared in front of him. It was quite possibly one the brightest sights he'd ever seen and he took moment to breathe it in. The moment didn't last long though, the goblin tapped at the vault entrance impatiently and Daniel grabbed a few handfuls of coins and stuffed them in his pockets. A few minutes later he was back at the bank entrance and staring out at Diagon Alley.

"How'd it go?" Jack's voice caught Daniel by surprise and he spun around to see the older man smiling at him.

"It went fine. I've never seen that much money in one place before. You never told me you were rich!"

Jack shook his head. "I'm not really rich. Most of the money I inherited when my grandfather passed away."

Daniel nodded curiously at Jack's mention of his grandfather. This was definitely something he was going to have to probe into later. Silently both men made their way back through Diagon Alley, purchasing supplies as they headed back to the Leaky Cauldron. Jack waved to the bartender who again recognized him as they entered the tavern and they quickly made their way back to their rental car.

Jack started the car and Daniel buckled his seat belt and watched as they moved through the city. The drive out of London was eerily quiet for both men, and finally Daniel broke the silence with a question.

"So what exactly is the plan when we get there?"

Jack shrugged his shoulders. "Haven't decided yet."

Daniel nodded and leaned back in his seat. He turned his gaze back towards the window and continued to watch the English countryside go by. His eyes closed for a moment, or what he thought was a moment and when he opened them again he noticed the sun had changed position. At least two hours had gone by and a quick glance in Jack's direction told him that something wasn't quite right.

The Colonel was breathing hard and blinking as though he couldn't see properly. Daniel opened his mouth to speak, but Jack brought his hand up to stop him. "I've just got a headache."

"You want me to drive for a bit?"

"Nah. I'll be fine." Daniel shrugged his shoulders, not buying his friend's act in the slightest.

He sat quietly for a few more minutes before he finally spoke up again.

"Jack are you okay? You look a little flushed." The concern was clear in Daniel's eyes as he watched his friend attempt to maneuver the car along the country road rather unsuccessfully. Twice already Jack had veered off the road and had to skid back on. The closer they got to Hogsmeade the worse Jack's condition seemed to get. "You need to pull over, Jack. Something's not right."

Reluctantly, Jack nodded and started to steer the car to the shoulder but suddenly his head tilted back as he body slumped forward. Daniel grabbed the wheel as Jack's foot pressed hard on the accelerator. There was no stopping the impending impact, and Daniel shouted as the car went spinning into a nearby grove of trees.

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"GeneralHammond, we wish to speak with you." Teal'c's voice echoed through the hallway as he and Major Carter approached the Major General.

Curiously, Hammond motioned for the two SG-1 team members to join him in his office, and closed the door behind them once they were all inside.

"What is it you wanted to speak to me about?"

Carter and Teal'c took a seat in the chairs in front of the General's desk. "MajorCarter and myself would like to request permission to search for DanielJackson and ColonelO'Neill."

Hammond shook his head. "Do I look like I was born yesterday?"

"Sir-" The General cut the Major off with a raised hand.

"I'm no fool, Major. I know you two want to protect them, but this has gone far enough. Where are they?"

Teal'c stood up and brought his arms behind his back. "That we are not entirely certain of, but if we could search for them-"

"Enough! Tell me where they are!"

"We can't sir. You have to trust us on this."

Hammond angrily got to his feet. "If you don't tell me where they are now, you will be facing similar charges, Major."

Carter stood up and turned to Teal'c who nodded in agreement with her. "Then I guess you'll have to arrest me, sir."

"Are you really willing to take this that far? Both of you?" They both nodded and Hammond reached down to pick up the phone in front of him.

Carter raised a hand to stop him just as he was about to dial. "Sir, if you do this you'll never find Colonel O'Neill and Daniel."

"Are you threatening me, Major Carter?"

"No sir, but we're the best chance you have of finding either of them. I'm just asking you to trust us."

The vein on Hammond's forehead looked ready to explode as he glared at the two people before him. "This is insane. It's insubordination at the least."

Carter sighed and Teal'c stepped closer to the desk and cocked his head in the General's direction. "Were there another way for us to accomplish our goal, we would have chosen it. We have never given you cause to distrust us, all we ask now is that you show us the same faith you have shown previously."

General Hammond sank down in his chair shaking his head. "I'm just supposed to let you two go?"

"Sir, I promise we'll explain everything to you once we're back. Please just trust us on this."

Before he could stop himself he was waving the two of them out of his office, still shaking his head. As he watched them go he wondered just what was so important that his flagship team was willing to risk everything, without any regard for themselves at all? And as he ran and hand over his bald scalp, he silently hoped that they'd all make it back so he could find out.


	16. Chapter 15

_Thanks again to everyone that has given me feedback so far. The next few sections are in the works. I'm getting them done as quickly as I can__. Hope this part is as enjoyable as the last chapter. I had quite a bit of fun writing this chapter, and the next few that are coming up, so I hope ya'll like it._

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Daniel opened his eyes and the smell of burnt rubber and blood wafted over him. There was smoke coming from the engine and he and Jack were slumped forward in the now crumpled vehicle. Jack still hadn't regained consciousness and that had Daniel worried. Gingerly he unhooked himself from the seatbelt that was restraining him and leaned over to do the same for Jack. The colonel moaned softly and Daniel hurriedly continued to pry them both out of the car. 

Several minutes later, he had achieved his goal and he had rested Jack against a nearby tree trunk and had gone back to see if he could their gear out of the vehicle. He had barely gotten the trunk open when he heard Jack call his name. Dropping everything he went to check on his injured friend.

"Easy Jack. Take it easy."

"What...happened?" Jack's voice was raspy and hoarse, and Daniel knew he must have taken a pretty hard hit when the car had crashed.

"The car is wrecked. I got you out. Let me get our stuff out, and I'll be right back."

Jack nodded weakly and closed his eyes again. The pain in his chest was almost unbearable. With his eyes closed he seemed to be able to focus off of it for a moment, but that moment didn't last long. A cold, dark feeling came over him and he knew there were dementors nearby. The logical side of his mind told him that they were too far away from the school for the dementors to be around, but he pushed the logic aside and dragged himself to his feet. He could just make out Daniel's frame reaching into the trunk of the car and stumbled towards him, his blurring vision making that task exceedingly difficult.

"Jack what are you doing?!" Daniel's voice echoed through the trees as he dropped the bag in his hand and grabbed Jack's already falling body.

"We...have to...get out...of here." Jack was already gasping for breath and Daniel rested him against the side of the car.

"Right now, this car isn't gong anywhere. We're going to have to walk the rest of the way."

His head groggy, Jack nodded and pointed to the bag Daniel had dropped in trying to catch him. "Need..."

The words escaped him and Daniel reached for the bag, trying to keep a hand on Jack's body as he did so. "Here, what do you need?"

Daniel opened the bag and began to fish through it, hoping he would figure out what Jack wanted. Luckily as he went through the items he found what he thought Jack was looking for. He ran his fingers along the slender piece of wood and then turned to Jack. The wizard nodded and reached out a shaky hand to take the wand.

Quickly Daniel turned back to the three bags on the ground and grabbed one of them and put it on his shoulders. He knew there was no way he could carry them all and help Jack move as well, so he kicked the other two aside and put an arm around Jack before starting into the nearby forest.

It was quiet in the forest, and the silence was enough to unnerve the archeologist as he pulled Jack along with him. The further into the forest, the darker it got and the more lost Daniel seemed to feel. Finally, Daniel collapsed against a tree to catch his breath and Jack blinked a few times trying to survey their surroundings. It took a moment for him to get his bearings straight, but once he did he couldn't help the sense of dread he began to feel.

"Where are we Jack?"

"We're in the forbidden forest." He coughed and brought his hand up to cover his mouth. "We have to keep moving. It isn't safe here. Daniel."

"Let's just catch our breath a minute and then we'll move." With a weak nod, Jack tried to sit up, but only succeeded in putting himself in more pain.

They waited a few minutes and then Daniel stood and bent down to help Jack to his feet. Again they began to move forward and Jack reached his wand out and spoke. "Lumos."

The tip of his wand lit up and the two could see a bit more of the ground in front of them which Daniel was thankful for. He led them deeper into the forest, letting Jack tell him which direction he needed to go. After what seemed like ages they both fell to the ground unable to keep going. A familiar feeling began to envelope Daniel and he scanned the area trying to figure out where it was coming from.

"The dementors are close. They sense us." Jack brought the tip of his wand to where he could see Daniel's face.

"What are we gonna do? You can't keep running like this. You're having trouble breathing as it is."

"If you go about three more miles North you'll be at Hogsmeade. You can get to Sirius-"

"I'm not leaving you here to possibly die or worse if those...things find you!" Jack shook his head.

"It's the best chance we've got, Danny."

Daniel furiously shook his head. "I won't leave you. I'm not leaving you behind."

With a weak smile, Jack nodded. He knew that look well. He seen it far too many times and it was never smart to argue with the man when he got that look in his eyes.

"Then what do you suggest?"

"I have no idea, Jack. This isn't exactly my home turf. I barely know where we are."

Again Jack coughed and Daniel was by his side to make sure he was alright. "Well this is just peachy. I can barely move and you're nursemaiding me."

"Someone has to. Doc Frasier wouldn't forgive me if you died out here."

Jack tried to laugh, but he pain in his chest made him wince. "Don't make me laugh."

"I'm guessing those ribs are broken?"

"Yeah. I'm thinking at least three or more. Hurts like a sonofabitch too." Daniel laughed solemnly and took a deep breath as he looked around the dark forest that surrounded them.

"There has to be another way. Those things are getting closer. I can feel that cold feeling getting stronger." Jack nodded as he sputtered out another cough. "There's nothing that can stop them?"

Jack looked quizzically at Daniel then a smile ghosted across his lips. "I think you might be onto something, Dannyboy."

Daniel was quickly on his feet as Jack motioned for help to stand. "What are you going to do?"

"There's only one creature the dementors won't go near. I'm just hoping I can get one of them to come near enough to us."

"What are you talking about?"

"If this...works...you'll see." Jack gritted his teeth as he leaned against Daniel for support. He slowly took his wand and waved it for a moment. The light on the end disappeared and both men were staring into the bleak darkness, and Jack began to speak again, this time he was using words that Daniel didn't quite understand. "Accium Quertus Nothas Learuim."

He repeated the words over and over again as he moved his wand. Finally he dropped the wand and fell to his knees, still chanting the words. The dark feeling of the dementors grew stronger until Daniel could barely move. Jack looked up and could see several of them coming towards them and he futilely reached for his wand and tried to ward them off with the Patronus charm. He was too weak though, and barely managed to light the end of his wand with the spell.

A scream echoed through his mind and his eyes began to close as the first dementor moved towards them. Instinctively Jack moved towards Daniel who was curled up in a ball a few feet from Jack. The younger man was shivering and nervously looking around whispering to himself, hoping the painful feeling would disappear. Jack placed an arm around his friend's body and tried one more time to conjure the Patronus charm. He managed a small patronus, but not near enough to stave off the several dementors that were already surrounding them.

"Jack, I hear their voices." Daniel was practically screaming as he grabbed his head and tried to pull away from Jack's grip. "Make them stop! I don't want to hear them! I can't stop it! Nooooo!!!"

Memories assaulted Jack as he watched Daniel writhe beneath him and he too began to shout as the dementors closed in around them.

"No! Not my son! Charlie!!!" Jack doubled over and rolled away from Daniel as the images of his son's death flashed through his mind.

Suddenly, there was a noise behind him. It sounded like hooves beating against the earth and a white light surrounded him. He opened his eyes for a moment and saw Daniel trying to move away from the light. The dementors began to scatter quickly, and a moment later the light dimmed and was gone, and Jack rolled over onto his side and stared up at the creature that had saved them.

It was a silvery white unicorn with golden hooves and shining horn in the center of its head. Proudly it raised its hooves and moved in front of Jack and Daniel's prone bodies. Jack coughed and grabbed his aching chest as his eyes began to drift shut.

When Jack opened his eyes again Daniel was running a cool cloth over his forehead and had a cup of water just touching his dry lips.

"Drink slowly, Jack. Take it easy. I'm not sure where we are, but whatever you did stopped those dementors pretty good." Jack smiled softly and shook his head.

"It wasn't me. It was them." He pointed just past the small pool of water where they were both resting and Daniel looked up.

The archeologist stared in surprise at the three unicorns looking back at them. "Are they real?"

"If they weren't we'd be worse than dead right now." Jack took another sip of water and allowed Daniel to help him sit up. He looked straight at the beautiful creatures watching them from afar and nodded to them. "Thank you."

Daniel was amazed as the creatures bowed their majestic frames in their direction and then slowly walked away. For the first time he could remember he was at a loss for words. Never before had he seen such creatures, but he hoped that he might again one day.

"They're pretty amazing aren't they?" Jack asked as he watched the emotions play across Daniel's face.

"I've never seen anything like it. They're beautiful. That doesn't even begin to describe them, but that's the only word I know to use."

"I know what you mean. The first time I saw one I was the same way. Honestly, I'm surprised you could see them. They don't usually let muggles see them at all."

Daniel raised an eyebrow quizzically. "Why?"

"They're afraid of muggles. Most that have seen them, try to hunt them. Some wizards and magic folk do the same, so usually they stay far away from anyone's sight."

Shaking his head sorrowfully, Daniel nodded. "I guess that makes sense, but why did they save us?"

"I called them to us."

"The words you were saying before I passed out?" Jack nodded and Daniel sighed. "How exactly did they stop them?"

"I don't really know. Unicorn's have a magic that's far stronger than any witch or wizard could hope to have."

"How did you know they'd help us?"

"The words I used were old magic. Something my grandmother taught me when I was a boy. Unicorns are protectors by nature. If you call to them, no matter what danger you're in, they'll protect you. Even a muggle can use the old magic and call a unicorn." Daniel was mesmerized by the tone of Jack's voice and he nodded as the older man spoke. "They're the most amazing creatures you'll ever come across. Be grateful they let you see them, you may never get the chance again. It's mostly children that get to see them. They're not as afraid of children as they are of adults."

"Well, now what are we gonna do? I have no idea where we are? Do you?"

Looking at their surroundings Jack shook his head. "Not really, but I think I can get us out of here if you can help me up."

A familiar voice made Jack turn with a start and he winced in pain as he did so. "You really are a stubborn fool sometimes, Corrigan."

"Firenze? What are you doing here?" Jack smiled at the Centaur that was approaching them, and Daniel struggled to pick his jaw up off the ground.

"The unicorns weren't the only ones that heard your call. It's not very often that we hear the old magic. Very few even know how to use it anymore." Firenze noticed Daniel's curious gaze and shook his head at Jack. "Why don't you introduce me to your friend."

"Oh, Daniel this is Firenze. Firenze this is my friend Daniel Jackson."

"You're a...a real...oh my god!" Daniel tried to gather himself enough to speak, but Firenze was already laughing hysterically, and Jack was only holding back because of the pain in his chest. "You're a centaur?"

"Yes, I am. And you're a human if I'm not mistaken, but quite a gifted one." Daniel blushed at the compliment and Firenze smiled as he turned to Jack. "You always chose your companions well, my friend. It's no wonder you are here now."

"What do you mean?" Daniel asked before Jack could speak.

"The knowledge of Sirius Black has not escaped us here in the forest. Jack would not leave a friend in need without attempting to aid him in some way. It is not in his nature."

Jack nodded at Firenze and slowly moved towards him with Daniel's help. "It's good to see you again, but shouldn't you be back with your brothers and sisters? They can't approve of you associating with us."

"That they do not, but we could not ignore the call of the old magic. The stars have spoken of it for days now. I did not know it would be you who would use it though. Even now, my brothers and sisters are watching us."

Curiously, Daniel turned his head to look around but saw nothing. "Why are they hiding?"

"Most Centaurs do not associate with humans of any kind. We are content to remain here in the forest watching the stars at night and minding our own business, which most humans have no concept of. It has been this way for centuries."

Jack stifled a laugh as more pain wracked his chest. "Don't start on the history lesson, Firenze. Daniel will never leave your side if you do."

"Jack?! I'm not that bad."

"Are so."

"Am not."

"Yes you are."

"Not."

"Are."

"I am not!" Daniel hung his head realizing how loud he had gotten and turned to the Centaur beside to them to apologize, but Firenze was already laughing at them both.

"You are quite the pair. Reminds me of you and your brother. He still comes into the forest to speak to us at times, though he misses your company."

"Severus still comes here? I had no idea." Firenze nodded to Jack and watched as the wizard lowered his head sorrowfully as he remembered his brother.

"Jack, are you alright?" Daniel asked as he watched the pained expression on Jack's face grow.

"Yeah, I was just remembering."

"I apologize for reminding you of such things. I know you have not been here in much time. Perhaps, it is best we move on if you are feeling better." Firenze stepped forward and placed a hand on Jack's shoulder to comfort him.

"Are you coming with us?" Jack asked as he curiously raised an eyebrow at the Centaur.

"For a short way. I will show you to the path that leads to Hogsmeade. You should be safe from there. I don't think the dementors will come after you for a while. The unicorns frightened them quite thoroughly."

Jack smirked. "That's good to know."

Daniel picked up their things while Firenze held onto Jack and then he moved to take hold of the Colonel, but Firenze put up a hand to stop him.

"I will take him as far as we are to go. You have much to carry in your pack." Nodding Daniel hefted the bag onto his shoulder and held it tightly as they walked through the forest, Jack leaning on Firenze.

The three walked for quite some time before the Centaur stopped. Daniel turned and gently pulled a weak Jack from Firenze's arms.

"Thank you. It was a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure was mine, Daniel Jackson. One day we will meet again, of this I am certain." Firenze turned to Jack who was limply holding on to Daniel's arm for support. "Take care, my friend. You have dark times ahead of you, but trust in your sight. It will not lead you astray."

Jack sighed and nodded. "Thanks. If you see my brother...keep an eye out for him."

"As always. I bid you good-bye now. Farewell." With that the Centaur turned on his hooves and started back into the dense forest.


	17. Chapter 16

Daniel led Jack down the path and twenty minutes later they reached the edge of Hogsmeade. They were mere yards from the Shrieking Shack when Daniel saw the familiar animagus form of Sirius Black trotting towards them. The dog barked and led the duo to doorway at the back of the old building and they followed him inside.

"What happened?" Sirius asked once he had transformed into his human form.

"We were in a car accident. He blacked out while we were on our way here." Jack had finally collapsed and Daniel carried him up the steps of the house to a bedroom with a small cot and placed him on it. "He has some cracked ribs and I don't know what else. Can you do anything?"

"If I had a wand-"

"Jack's is in the bag." Daniel motioned to the backpack on his shoulders and Sirius pulled it from him and rummaged through it until found what he was after.

Once he had Jack settled in the bed Daniel stepped aside and let Sirius work. The wizard swished his wand around and spoke words that sounded familiar to Daniel, but nothing that he knew for certain. A few hours later Sirius was finished and he turned to Daniel with an exhausted look on his face.

"He was badly hurt. I did as much magic as I could. Some of it will have to heal on its own."

"He's still unconscious?"

"He probably will be the rest of the night." Sirius put the wand back in the bag he'd found it in and led Daniel down the stairs where they could talk more.

"Jack will be alright, won't he?" Daniel's insecurity was clear and Sirius patted the younger man on the shoulder.

"Of course. He just needs his rest for now. Like I said, he was badly hurt. By tomorrow he should be awake and driving us mad as usual."

Daniel laughed softly at the thought, and both men sat down on two worn wooden chairs that were near the bottom of the steps.

"So why did you come back so soon?'

"Jack had a dream while we were on the plane home, and he said he had to come back. I came with." Sirius shook his head. He hated it when Jack had dreams like that. It always spelled bad things for those he dreamt of.

"Did he say anything about the dream itself?"

Daniel shook his head. "He wouldn't say anything about it. Whatever he saw was enough to freak him out though. He had half the plane terrified with all his screaming."

"You're friends didn't join you?"

"They couldn't this time." Daniel sighed thinking of Sam and Teal'c and what they must be going through with them gone. Hammond would have been grilling them hard by now to get info on where they were.

----------

Teal'c and Carter each a carried a single bag with them as they boarded the plane headed back to England. As they took their seats they glanced at one another. They had no idea what was waiting for them when they reached their destination, but they both hoped that they would reach their friends before anything bad happened.

----------

While Daniel and Sirius conversed below Jack slept restlessly in the room above them. His body healed as he lay there in the nearly too small cot and his hands and eyelashes twitched as his dreams overtook him.

"_I can't take it anymore, Sev. These dreams are killing me. I just want them to stop." Jack cried out into the night as Severus put an arm around his brother's shoulder for comfort._

"_It'll be alright. Dumbledore is trying to help you." _

_Jack threw his arms in the air and shook his head at Severus. "Damn him! He can't even give me something to help me sleep. I haven't slept in three weeks. I see things, Sev, terrible things all around me. My nightmares follow me even in the daylight."_

"_He means well, Jack. He wants to help you. Give him time. I'm sure he'll find something."_

_Pulling away from Severus, Jack moved towards the window of the owlery where they were talking. He looked out and saw the stars coming into view as the sun slowly set._

"_It may be too late by then. I can already feel the dreams taking control of me. They're destroying me, Sev. Soon there won't be anything left for Dumbledore to help. I'll just be a shadow, a mindless tomb." Turning around Jack saw the confusion in his brother's eyes and he stepped closer to him. "I have to go now. The stars are calling me."_

_Before Severus could respond Jack took off at a run out of the owlery. He ran until his legs burned and the sweat was pouring out of his body like a sieve. His breathing was rapid he thought his heart was going to jump out of his chest when he finally dropped to his knees. Looking around him he saw that he was in the Forbidden Forest._

_He scanned the area and then brought his hands up to cover his face. Silently he wept as the voices in his mind began to call out to him again. Struggling to get to his feet he cursed the voices. Covering his ears with his hands he pushed himself forward, going deeper into the forest._

_When he could move no more he collapsed to the cold ground beneath him and closed his eyes. The visions came as soon as his eyelids shut, and he screamed as the pained images flashed through his mind._

"_NO! Leave me alone!" His voice echoed into the night air as he writhed on the ground. The images were all he could see, people frightened and running, people dying all around him. All his strength was gone and he shut his eyes tightly allowing the visions to control him. He began to shout even louder, in words he didn't quite understand, but somewhere in his mind he knew they were a desperate call for help. "Accium Ligertas Nothas Duendem."_

_Over and over he repeated the words, until his throat ached and burned from the shouting. When he could no longer speak he curled himself tightly in a ball and waited, for what he couldn't be sure, but as the tears slid down his cheeks he hoped that either death would claim him or that help would save him._

_Sometime later Jack opened his eyes once more and felt a cool breeze brush past him. He was still in the forest, but there were strange voices talking around him. He tried to lift his head, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. Kneeling beside him he was shocked to see a young Centaur resting one hand on his shoulder and the other dipping into a small bucket of water and bringing back a wet cloth to place on Jack's forehead._

"_Rest child. You are safe here." Frightened Jack tried to pull away from the touch, but the Centaur's grip on his shoulder held him firmly in place. "Do not fear me. I mean you no harm."_

"_W-What are you doing?" Jack's voice faltered as he nervously looked around and saw he was surrounded by several other Centaurs, all of whom were staring intently at him._

"_We heard your call. We've come to help you."_

"_B-but I thought C-Centaurs hated humans?" Still stuttering Jack turned his gaze away from the Centaurs._

"_It is not hatred, we merely dislike your ways. Muggles and wizards alike have no understanding or like of our ways any more that we have of theirs."_

"_Then why help me?"_

"_You called to the forest with the old magic. That is something no magical creature can ignore." Jack watched the Centaur curiously as he dipped the cloth back in the water and brought it to his forehead again._

"_I don't understand. How did I call you?"_

"_The words you spoke. Do you remember them?"_

_For a moment Jack paused and tried to think back to what he had said. "I think I do. It was something my grandmother taught me when I was a boy. She told me if I ever needed help to say the words and help would come."_

"_And so it did. Your grandmother was very wise. Most have forgotten the old magic. You are lucky to have been taught it at such a young age, for that is when it will remain with you."_

_The Centaurs words seemed strange and confusing to him, but he nodded quietly. "Can you really help me?"_

"_My brothers and I can try."_

"_Can you make the dreams stop?"_

"_Why would one wish to end their dreams? They are the pathway to the future." Jack cringed at the thought and the Centaur couldn't help but notice it._

"_If my dreams are the future, then I want no part of it." The stars shone down on the two of them and Jack sighed heavily as he pointed to them. "They talk to me, the stars I mean. I hear them at night. They tell me things, dark things. I wish they didn't tell me the things they do."_

_The other Centaurs gathered around as Jack spoke. His words seemed to draw them in and they knelt beside him to listen._

"_I've seen the darkest of things. A war to encompass all the magical world is coming, and nothing will be able to stop it. Many will die, and many more will wish they had. No one will be safe from it." Jack turned to the Centaur and stared deep into his eyes. "If this is the future, I'd rather not be a part of it."_

"_You underestimate your power, child. If you can hear the stars, then you are stronger than you realize. Most wizards are never able to hear the message of the stars. You seem to hear it clearly."_

"_It's driving me mad! I can't stop it!" The pain in Jack's face made the Centaur look away._

"_You will come with us and we will help you." A tear rolled down his cheek as Jack nodded to the Centaur and slowly got to his feet._

"_You haven't given me your name, Centaur?" The other Centaurs laughed softly and Jack raised an eyebrow curiously. "What so funny?"_

"_If you truly hear the stars then you already know my name, you already know all our names."_

_For a moment Jack looked around and as he made his way forward, following the Centaur whose name he wasn't quite sure of. As he followed he turned his eyes towards the stars and a soft voice began to whisper to him._

"_You're name is Firenze." The Centaur stopped and turned his head to Jack as he nodded. "The others are Ronan...Bane...Morrigan...Aedan...and Torin."_

_The other Centaurs nodded as he pointed to each of them and gave their names. "You are truly gifted, Jack Corrigan, more so than you realize."_

Slowly Jack opened his eyes. His mind was still swimming with the remnants of his dream and the long forgotten memory. He brought his hands up to chest and to his surprise the pain was gone. Looking around the room he realized he was back in the Shrieking Shack and he could just make out the sound of Daniel and Sirius talking somewhere below him.


	18. Chapter 17

----

Sirius smiled as he sipped at the cup of water he held in his worn hand. Daniel's tale about the unicorns and centaurs hadn't surprised him in the slightest. He had never doubted that Jack was a truly gifted wizard. "I always knew Jack was more talented than he let on. Then again his grandparents taught him well."

"What do you know about Jack's grandparents?"

"Why do you ask?"

Daniel shrugged his shoulders and sighed. "Just curious. He's only mentioned his family a few times, but never anything specific."

The expression on Sirius' face seemed to change as he pondered Daniel's question, and the archeologist wasn't quite sure what to make of it when the older man began to speak. "Jack was raised by the Corrigans. Once his mother remarried he was sent to live with them because his stepfather was concerned about how rapidly Jack's magical abilities were beginning to develop."

"What do you mean?"

"Most wizards start to show their ability around the time they turn ten or eleven. Jack was already starting to do magic by the time was three or four. He barely had any control over it, which is what had his stepfather so concerned. They thought that living with his grandparents would help him be able to control it."

"So both his grandparents were...wizards?"

"Yes, and quite powerful ones at that. The Corrigans had always been a powerful wizarding family..." Sirius voice trailed off and Daniel watched the emotions play on the wizard's face as he sat quietly waiting for him to continue. "Sorry, I guess I got lost for a bit there."

"That's alright. What else do you know about Jack?"

Sirius laughed softly and shook his head. "Honestly, there's always been more about that man that I didn't know, than what I did."

Daniel rolled his eyes and nodded his head knowingly. "He likes to keep people guessing."

"That I have to agree with. He's always been a peculiar chap."

"That's one way to describe him." Daniel cast a glance down at his watch and then back at Sirius. "Do you think he might wake up soon?"

"Probably not, but I'll go up and check on him." Sirius started to stand, but Daniel brought his hand up to stop him.

"No, I'll do it."

Sirius nodded and watched as the younger man made his way up the stairs. Silently he wondered whether it was a good idea for Jack to have come back. He was touched that his friend would risk so much to help him, but the risk Jack and his friend were taking was almost too much.

Jack blinked a few times when he saw Daniel open the door to the room where he was resting, and he lifted his head slightly to get a better look at his friend.

"You look a little better."

"I feel like I was hit with a ton of bricks."

Daniel smirked and shook his head. "More like you crashed a car into some trees."

"Oh yeah. Then we ran through the forest. Sounds like a fabulous afternoon in my opinion." Jack laughed softly at his own humor and Daniel rolled his eyes.

"You should rest some more. Sirius says he healed you as best he could, but you need to rest up some more."

Jack feigned a salute and adjusted the small blanket that was covering him. "Yes, sir. Will do."

Daniel rolled his eyes and turned to leave. He cast a quick glance back at his friend who had already closed his eyes to sleep again, and Daniel couldn't help but wonder just what lay ahead for them. He knew he didn't have the abilities that Jack did, but something inside him told him that things were going to get much worse before they got any better.

----

Sirius was already up and moving about as the sun peeked its way into the rickety old shack. He vigilantly kept watch through a crack in the wooden slats covering the window. A soft purring sound near the window caught his attention and he pulled the slat back a bit so Crookshanks could come inside.

"Good morning, little one. Have you any news?" Sirius ran his wiry hand over Crookshanks' back and the feline purred contentedly. She began to meow and purr loudly as Sirius stroked her fur, and Sirius listened carefully to her.

A creaking of the steps made both Sirius and Crookshanks look up. Jack was easing himself down the steps one at a time, slowly looking around as he did so.

"Morning, Sirius. Where's Daniel?"

"He went in to town for some food."

Jack's eyes went wide at Sirius answer. "He's in Hogsmeade? Alone?"

"Well, I can't very well go with him, and you were still unconscious. He'll be fine. I'm sure of it. He said you'd stopped at Gringott's yesterday, so I gave him a list of things to buy."

"When did he leave?" Jack was already moving towards the door, and Sirius set Crookshanks down and started after him.

"He left a few minutes ago. Now come sit down. You're not fully healed yet. I won't have you going outside and messing up all my work from last night." He steered Jack away from the door and led him to a small wooden chair.

"Thanks for that."

"Not a problem. It's the least I could do, after all you are here to help me." Jack nodded and slowly eased himself into the chair.

"So how bad am I?" He pointed to his ribs that were still aching slightly and Sirius shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm no healer, but I'd say give it a day or so and you'll be fine. I mended those ribs as best I could. I think Madam Pomfrey would be proud." Sirius grinned and Jack rolled his eyes.

"There aren't many like dear old Poppy. "With a sigh Jack leaned back against the chair.

"Too true, my friend. There was almost nothing she couldn't find a cure for."

"Almost nothing." Solemnly Jack nodded remembering how feverishly the healer had worked to try and help him though his dreams, but in the end she had not been able to help him at all.

"Crookshanks tells me that Peter is still missing. She thinks he may be hiding near Hagrid's, but she isn't sure." Sirius' words broke Jack from his thoughts and he looked down and saw the orange feline stalking towards him.

"Good morning to you too, Crookshanks." He reached a hand out to pet the cat, and she jumped into his lap.

"I told you she liked you." Jack smiled at Sirius and the two sat and watched as the sun drifted in the sky above them, and Crookshanks happily purred in her place between the two wizards.

----

Daniel was just coming in sight of the Three Broomsticks as he moved along the dirt path into the little town of Hogsmeade. He pulled his jacket tighter around him as the chilly morning air blew past him. A nice looking woman greeted him as he passed the entrance to the tavern and he smiled at her.

"Mornin' to ya, sir. Can't say as I've seen you here abouts. It's always nice to see a new face." The woman smiled back as she used her wand to change the sign in front of the tavern to read 'open' instead of 'closed.'

"Good Morning. I'm just passing through town actually. Wanted to get a few things before I moved on." Daniel shrugged his shoulders at the woman and she motioned for him to come closer.

"Well, the shops are just opening. If you like you can come inside and grab a pint of butterbeer to warm you up, or whatever your pleasure be."

With a nod, Daniel followed the woman inside and took a seat at the bar. "My name's Daniel."

"I'm Rosmerta, I own this lovely little establishment. Now where did you say you were from?"

Daniel shook his head as she made her way behind the bar. "I didn't. I'm from a lot of places."

"You sound American." Daniel nodded and she put a steaming mug in front of him.

"I am, but I grew up in a lot of different places." He stared at the mug for a moment as the aroma wafted upwards. The scent was unlike anything he'd come across before. Curiously he lifted the mug and brought it to his lips.

"So you're a traveling wizard then."

As he put the mug down he nodded again. "Something like that."

"Well, whereabouts are you headed?"

Daniel was starting to feel anxious at the woman's questions and he pushed the mug away from him. "Nowhere in particular."

The peculiar look Rosmerta gave him at his response to her question didn't escape him and he desperately wanted to make a move for the door.

"Look at me, all nosey and such. Forgive me. I've no right to meddle in such things. You enjoy your butterbeer, and I'll be going about my business."

He breathed a sigh of relief as the woman walked away, and waved her hand to bring the chairs down from the upside down position on the tables. Silently he watched her as he finished up his drink and when she was done she joined him again at the bar.

"How much do I owe you?"

"It's on the house, Daniel. Have a lovely day." She smiled and he reached out to shake her hand.

"Thank you, Rosmerta. It's been a pleasure talking to you."

"The pleasure was all mine, dear." With a nod he rose from his seat and started for the door. The brisk air made him shiver slightly as he stepped outside and he tugged his jacket to him as he moved down the street.

The time seemed to fly by as he went from shop to shop. He was fascinated with everything he saw, from the candy at Honeydukes to the gadgets at Dervish and Banges. He'd even stopped at Zonko's, out of curiosity, and was amazed at all the interesting things they were selling. He could just picture Jack having a blast buying up things for the practical jokes he so loved to pull on everyone.

When he looked down at his watch it was almost noon, and he cursed himself for taking so long in town. Quickly he started out of Zonko's and walked back down the street. He stopped when he noticed several carriages pulling up to the edge of town. A large group of teenagers barreled out of the carriages and began running around the street, while an older woman with spectacles shouted after them.

"Now children, we will meet back here at 5 o'clock. If you are late you'll be walking back to the school." No one seemed to hear her as they rushed passed her, and she shook her head as she started towards the Three Broomsticks.

"Afternoon Professor McGonagall." Rosmerta was just opening the door to let one of her patrons leave when she saw the spectacled professor walking towards her. "Another trip for the students?"

"Yes. It's the last one before exams. I keep telling myself that I won't be the one to chaperone these outings anymore, but here I am." Professor McGonagall sighed and shrugged her shoulders as Rosmerta motioned for her to come inside.

Just as the two women were almost in the door, Rosmerta caught a glimpse of Daniel walking down the street and she called out to him.

"I thought you'd be on your way by now, dear." Rosmerta motioned for Daniel to come inside and he did so with a polite nod to her and to the professor as well.

"I was enjoying the scenery. This is quite a lovely little haven."

"That it is. It'd be better if those blasted dementors weren't patrolling at night." The venom in Rosmerta's voice at the mention of the dementors was clear and Daniel nodded in agreement.

"That's a shame." Daniel sighed and took a seat at the table that Rosmerta had led him and professor McGonagall.

"And who might you be, sir?" Professor McGonagall asked as the three of them sat down.

"Oh slap me silly. I've no manners at all. Minerva McGonagall, this is Daniel. He came into town this morning."

The older woman seemed to size Daniel up and he smiled as he reached a hand towards her. She carefully took the hand and shook it with a gently smile of her own.

"Nice to meet you, Daniel."

"Same here."

Rosmerta excused herself and disappeared to fetch them drinks and returned a few minutes later with three drinks in hand.

"So what are you doing in Hogsmeade?" Minerva asked as Daniel brought his drink to his lips. He slowly took a drink and then set it back down on the table.

"Just passing through."

"Really?" The witch gave him an odd look, and Daniel couldn't help but look away.

"Yes. I'm actually on my way out of town now."

"Daniel's a traveling wizard of sorts." Rosmerta chimed in.

"How lovely for you." The sarcasm in the professor's voice was obvious and Daniel was taken aback by it.

"I'm sorry, but have I done something to offend you?" He asked curiously, hoping the witch would give him some clue as to why she seemed to hostile towards him.

"Not at all." She paused to study his face for moment before continuing. "There's something strangely familiar about you, Daniel."

Daniel gulped and shrank back in his seat, praying his nervousness didn't show too much. "Um...how so?"

"I can't quite place it, but I've seen you before."

Rosmerta shook her head and laughed softly. "Calm down, Minerva. Daniel's an alright fella. You're just tired from having all those children around you."

Reluctantly, Minerva sighed and shook her head. "You could be right."

Feeling the urgent need to get back to the Jack and Sirius, Daniel stood up and both women shook their heads for him to stay.

"I really have to be going. I've spent all morning in town and I have so much more to do today." He shook both women's hands and excused himself once more and took his leave.

As he stepped outside he noticed a red-haired boy following a small lollipop that seemed to be floating in the air. He was going towards the Shrieking Shack and Daniel followed, careful not to make his presence known. When he stopped Daniel ducked behind some trees, curious to see what the boy was doing.


	19. Chapter 18

_Thanks so much for the feedback on the last chapter. I have to give thanks to panther28 for pointing out a small mistake on the last chapter. I really appreciate you letting me know. I think midterms fried my brains because for some reason I was writing Crookshanks as a she instead of a he. A thousand apologies to anyone else that noticed that. Anyway, I've talked enough. Now on to your reguarly scheduled programming..._

-----

"It's safe now, Harry. Take off the cloak." The red-haired boy said he neared a large rock just near the fence surrounding the shack.

Harry slipped out of the cloak and Daniel nearly gasped when he realized the boy had been invisible the entire time.

The red-haired boy was seething and his friend did his best to calm him. "I swear one day I'm going to hurt that moron. Who does Malfoy think he is?!"

Harry placed a hand on the red-haired boy's shoulder and they both took deep breaths. "Calm down, Ron. Honestly, Draco Malfoy just likes to talk. He's hardly worth you getting so worked up over."

"I can't stand him. He does nothing but make fun of me and my family. So we're different from some wizard families. Why does he have to shove it down my throat whenever he sees me?"

"He's an idiot. Don't worry. It's not like anyone but those stupid Slytherins care what he has to say."

Ron looked at Harry and sighed. "Thanks Harry. I don't know why I let him get to me."

"Because you're human, Ron. You're not the only one that can't wait to see Draco get put in his place."

Ron nodded to Harry and took a seat on the nearby boulders overlooking the Shrieking Shack.

"We should get closer. Maybe take a better look at that place." Harry said with a smile as Ron's cheeks turned pink.

"Are you mad?! That's the most haunted house in Britain, and you want to go closer?" Harry rolled his eyes at his friend started to move closer to the fence surrounding the shack.

"It'll be fun, Ron. Come on."

Daniel held his breath as he tried not to panic. He knew if the children got too close they might find Jack and Sirius, and he knew he couldn't let that happen. Thinking fast he stumbled out of his hiding place behind the trees and the startled boys aimed their wands in his direction.

"Sorry to interrupt. Um...Didn't see you two up here." Daniel held up his hands as though he were surrendering. He was pretty sure Jack would think he was insane for just showing himself this way, but from where he was standing there was little other choice if wanted to keep the boys from getting too close to the shack.

"Who are you?" Harry shouted still aiming his wand directly at Daniel's chest.

"My name's Daniel. I was just on my way out of town, and I wanted to get a look at the Shrieking Shack. It's my first time in Britain, and I've heard so much about it, I just wanted to see it in person."

Harry and Ron eyed Daniel suspiciously, neither lowering their wands as Daniel casually took a seat on the boulder next to the boys.

"Where's your wand?" Ron asked curiously, noticing that Daniel hadn't bothered to try and stop them from pointing their wands at him.

"Don't have one. Not very good with magic, unfortunately." Daniel set the bags he'd gotten in town on the ground beside him and motioned for the boys to join him.

Hesitantly, both boys sat down beside Daniel, keeping their wands close by.

"So what are you doing here?" Harry looked down at the bags beside Daniel's feet and then back at the Daniel.

"Like I said, I was passing through town, and I wanted to get a look at the Shrieking Shack. It is the most haunted house in Britain, or so I've heard." Daniel smiled and Harry and Ron shook their heads.

"Where are you from? You sound American?" Ron asked as he leaned forward on his boulder.

"Can I get your names before you interrogate me?"

Both boys looked at each other and then back at Daniel and nodded.

"I'm Ron Weasley." The red-haired boy reached a hand out and Daniel shook it.

"Harry...Harry Potter." Daniel tried not to gape as Harry spoke his name, but he was sure the boys couldn't have missed the surprised expression on his face.

"Well, I'm Daniel Jackson." Daniel reached his hand out to Harry, who took it with a wary look in his eyes.

"So where are you from?" Ron asked again.

"You're right. I am American. Came all the way from Colorado." Daniel sat quietly waiting for the boys to ask him something else, thankful that they seemed to have forgone the idea of getting closer to the shack.

"You must be a real nutter to come all that way just to look at a Shack." Daniel laughed as Ron shook his head at him.

"Well, that's not the only reason I came. I'm actually on my way to London. I have family there, that I plan to visit as well."

The piercing glares that Harry was giving him were unnerving the archeologist, but he managed to keep quiet about it as he chatted with Ron. The redhead seemed quite intrigued by him, and he was enjoying talking to him as well. But a cough from Harry made both of them stop and turn in the dark-haired boy's direction.

"How do we know you're telling us the truth?" The strain in Harry's voice made Daniel wonder just what the boy was implying. He could see a slight resemblance to Jack in the boy's face as he stared at him with that stern, almost 'Colonel' look on his face waiting for Daniel to respond.

Adjusting his glasses, Daniel stared straight into the young boy's eyes as he spoke. "I guess you'll just have to believe me. I can't really prove anything. You're the ones with wands. I suppose if you don't believe me you could use them on me and be done with it."

Slowly Harry raised his wand again and pointed it directly at Daniel, who stared back as calmly as he could despite the nervous feeling that was starting in the pit of his stomach.

"Harry, what are you doing? It's not like he's Sirius Black or something." Ron placed a hand on Harry's shoulder, but it was swiftly pushed away.

"How do we know?" Harry glared at Ron and the redhead shrugged his shoulders as they both turned their heads back in Daniel's direction.

The archeologist gulped seeing that Harry wasn't going to let this go. He knew then that he had to find a way to convince them he was telling the truth or he was going to end up tasting whatever skill these two young wizards might have with their wands firsthand.

-----

"Oh fer cryin' out loud! Where the heck is he?!" Jack shouted as he stood up. "It's been hours, Sirius!"

"I realize that, Jack. He was probably fascinated by the stuff in all those shops. From our little discussion last night, he seems rather taken with the whole wizarding world and such." Sirius waved his hand in the air and Jack shook his head in frustration.

He knew well that Daniel was prone to getting sidetracked, especially when he saw something new that fascinated him. Gritting his teeth, Jack walked over towards the window and peeked out of it.

"I swear that man is gonna be the death of me one day." Sirius laughed softly and Jack turned back around to look at the other wizard. "What's so funny?"

"You of course. You've always been so damned protective of others. Daniel is probably in no danger at all, but you're in full protection mode. It's just amusing to me."

"It would be considering you've hardly cared about anyone your whole life." As soon as the words left his lips, Jack regretted them and lowered his head in shame.

"That's not true!" Sirius shot Jack a venomous look that left the other wizard stunned.

"I'm sorry, Siri. That was uncalled for. I know you've cared about a lot of people, me included." Jack sighed and Sirius nodded back. "I probably shouldn't even be worrying about Daniel. I'm just letting this all get to me. I'm sorry."

"It's alright. I've forgiven you for worse things than talking out your ass." Sirius smirked at the surprised look on Jack's face.

"Ouch, my friend. Your wit is still as sharp as ever."

"Being around you helps. You always did bring out the wittier side of my personality."

Jack rolled his eyes and took a seat by the window. "So that's what you call it."

Sirius smiled and then sighed softly seeing the worry still present in his friend's eyes. "I could go look for him if you like?"

"Don't be silly. He should be back soon. I'll just chew him out for driving me insane when he gets in."

Leaning back in his seat, Jack rested his head against the cold wall and took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. He had the sneaking suspicion that Daniel was busy getting himself into trouble, but he hoped that it wasn't the case. Though he wasn't quite sure how, he was certain that the archeologist still had some role to play in whatever strangeness was slowly unfolding around them.

"I suppose you're right." Sirius stood up from his seat across the room and moved to where Jack was. Curiously he looked out the small crack in the wooden slat covering the window and his eyes settled on a small patch of fenced area just near the entrance to the shack. "Odd. That looks like Daniel there."

Jack stood to get a look at what Sirius could see and nodded in agreement. "Who's out there with him?"

"Oh my god! That's Harry and the Weasley boy." Sirius shook his head and started for the door with Jack hot on his heels.

Jack grabbed Sirius by the shoulder just before the other wizard's hand touched the handle. "Are you sure you know what you're doing, Siri?"

"Of course I know what I'm doing. I just hope your friend knows what he's doing talking to those two. Harry doesn't know the truth about what happened to his parents. He doesn't know the truth about anything. I don't want to risk the chance that Daniel might let something slip."

"Daniel doesn't know everything, and he's not dumb enough to let anything slip."

Sirius shrugged his shoulders and again reached for the door. "Are you coming with me or not?"

"Fine." Both men took off out the side entrance, Sirius transforming just as they entered the bushes near the doorway.

-----

"Harry calm down!" Ron's voice echoed through the trees as he placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Look Ron, there's something off about him. I don't know what it is, but I feel it."

Daniel nervously fidgeted with the cuff of his jacket and listened to the two boys banter back and forth. He heard the faint sound of footfalls behind him and he jerked his head around to see a bushy-haired girl walking fast towards them.

"There you are. I've been looking for you since we got into town. Since Hagrid's been so miserable about Buckbeak, I thought maybe we could cheer him up a bit when we get back.." Hermione didn't seem to be paying any attention to Daniel until she stepped closer and she realized he wasn't another student.

"Buckbeak? I'd forgotten all about it." There was a tinge of remorse in Ron's voice as he looked away from Hermione and down at the ground.

"What are you two doing anyway? And who is this?" Hermione pointed to Daniel and he shrugged his shoulders.

"The name's Daniel, and I was just passing through town, but your friends here seem to think I'm up to something." Daniel stood and cautiously moved away from Hermione and closer to the treeline.

Hermione looked from her friends to Daniel and then back again. He seemed harmless at first glance, but there was something about the way Harry was glaring at him that made her a bit nervous. She opened her mouth to speak when a loud crack made them all turn.

A stranger had apparated in between them all, and very nearly landed on Ron's feet. The redhead tumbled backwards in confusion and stared blankly as a wiry hand reached out to help him up.

"Sorry about that. I've been wondering about you. Didn't know it took that long to walk through town. I thought you'd gotten lost or something." Jack smiled as Daniel paled against the boulder his hand was resting on.

"Who are you?" Harry's grit his teeth and pointed his wand at the stranger who was eying him quite curiously.

Jack knew that Harry had to be wondering why he was staring so intently at him and he blinked shaking himself to the present as he watched the all to familiar and yet not so familiar face glaring at him. "Uh...The name's Jack. Daniel here is my-"

Daniel cut Jack off and the colonel stared wide-eyed at the archeologist. "Cousin. I told you I have family in London. I was supposed to meet him here so we could go back to London together."

Curiously Jack nodded in agreement. "Yeah, he took so long getting here I went into town to check on him but he wasn't there, so I decided to come back here to wait. Now who might you be, kiddo?"

"Back off!" Harry shouted as Jack went to placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Take it easy, kid. My cousin and I just want to get outta here and back home. Why don't you and your friends do the same?" Jack stepped in front of Harry's wand and let the tip of his rest against his chest.

Slowly Harry eased the wand down and slipped it back in his pocket. "Come on, guys. Let's go."

Jack and Daniel watched as Harry stepped around Jack and motioned for Ron and Hermione to follow him. Reluctantly the trio walked began to walk away. Ron turned around briefly and reached out a hand to Daniel.

"It was nice meeting you."

"You too, Ron." Daniel shook the redhead's hand and waved as he walked away. Once they were out of sight he breathed a sigh of relief as he turned back to Jack. "That was close, Jack."

"No. Really?" Jack let the sarcasm drip from his voice as he rolled his eyes at his friend.

"Where's Sirius?"

Looking around Jack's eyes settled on a bushy area just past Daniel's shoulder. "He's over there."

Daniel turned and Sirius padded towards them and barked as he moved past them and back towards the shack. Jack nodded and took hold of one of Daniel bags and the trio moved through the trees.

Several minutes later they were back in the Shrieking Shack and Jack shook his head furiously at Daniel. The archeologist shrugged his shoulders trying to explain, but the Colonel's fierce glare stopped him in his tracks.

"What were you thinking talking to Harry?! Are you insane!?"

"Listen Jack! I was trying to stop them from getting closer to this damned place. Harry wanted to get a closer look, if I hadn't started talking to them there was a good chance they would have found you two here. I was trying to help, so get off my back!!"

Jack shrank back slightly as Daniel raised his arms in frustration and stomped up the stairs, leaving Jack speechless and Sirius trying to hold back a chuckle.

"Well, that went well my friend."

"Shut up, Sirius!" Jack turned and started up the stairs after Daniel.

"Those two are quite the pair." Sirius shook his head as Jack walked away and he turned back to the bags of supplies that had been left by the door. Rolling his eyes he grudgingly moved towards them. "Of course. Leave me to take care of all this. You're too kind."


	20. Chapter 19

"What was all that back there, Harry?" Hermione asked as she Harry and Ron as they climbed into the carriage with a few other Gryffindors, and started back towards Hogwart's.

"Nothing. Why are you talking to us all of a sudden?" Giving Harry a hurt look, Hermione turned to face the window of the carriage and sat silent through the rest of the ride back to school.

When the carriage stopped everyone exited and Harry, Ron and Hermione made their way towards Hagrid's hut. As they neared their friend's home, Harry reached out and took Hermione by the arm.

"I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to be so...well, you know." Harry lowered his eyes and stared at the ground in shame.

Hermioned touched Harry's arm warmly and smiled. "Don't worry. We'll talk about it later. Right now we need to check on Hagrid."

With that they all went on towards Hagrid's. They were crushed when they saw how heartbroken their large friend was. None of them had really had the time to check in on the groundskeeper since they'd found out about the verdict in the hippogriff's hearing. Harry and Ron were even more upset remembering that they hadn't even helped Hagrid with the preparations for the hearing as they'd promised they would.

Buckbeak was set to be executed in four days time and their exams would begin the following morning. Together the three of them sat with Hagrid for an hour or so until the sun had clearly set and Hagrid insited on walking them back to the castle so they could finish studying for their exams. They knew it would be a long four days, and they each hoped that they could find some way to stop Buckbeak's execution before then.

----

For a moment Jack peered through the slightly ajar door as Daniel paced the floor of the small room at the top of the stairs. Slowly he eased his way inside as Daniel took a seat against the wall near the window.

"What do you want, Jack?"

"To apologize." Daniel waved his arm at Jack and the colonel stepped closer and took a seat beside him. "I was wrong, okay?"

"Some apology." Shaking his head Daniel turned to look out the window.

"What do you want, Danny? You were gone for hours, and then we see you talking to the one person none of us should be anywhere near-"

Daniel cut him off as he shook his head. "Why is that? I thought you two were trying to protect that kid."

"We are, but he has no idea who we are. What he probably knows about Sirius is that everyone thinks he's responsible for his parent's deaths. Until we find Peter we have no way of proving that to Harry."

With a sigh Daniel nodded pulled his knees to his chest. "I see your point but that boy is already pretty wary of people. He was suspicious of me as soon as he saw me."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I got the impression that he's angry about something. If he had known I was helping you and Sirius, I have no doubt he would have used that wand on me."

"If he's anything like James he probably would have."Jack paused a moment and then let his head sink down into his hands. "You know he looks just like his father. The eyes are definitely Lily's, but otherwise he's the spitting image of James. I can't help but think that this will end badly."

Daniel could read the hurt in his friend's eyes and he nodded. "It'll work out. I'm sure of it."

Jack stared curiously at Daniel and breathed a heavy sigh. "This all turning out so wrong. We're no closer to finding Peter than we were when I left. I don't even know if I should be here."

"Of course you do. You wouldn't have risked Hammond's wrath and a court-martial if you didn't think it was necessary."

"Are you so sure? I can't be anywhere near those damned dementors without losing it and I have no idea how to find Peter. If anything I'm more of a risk to Sirius that anything else."

"That's not true. Sirius knows that and so do I. What happened yesterday wasn't anyone's fault. So they have a bad effect on you. From what Sirius tells me, you aren't the only one. You'll deal. You always find a way to do just that, no matter what the situation. Whether we're offworld or here, you'll do what you have to do make things work. I trust you to do that, and so does Sirius."

Jack shook his and smiled half-heartedly. "How is it you have so much faith in me?"

"Because you're my friend and you've never given me much reason to doubt you."

Sighing Jack rested his hand on Daniel's shoulder. "Well, I guess we should get going then."

"Get going?" Daniel gave Jack a quizzical look.

"Yeah. I wanna head back to the rental car and see if we can salvage anything."

"Do you even know how to get back to it?"

Jack shook his head. "I have a pretty god idea where we were when I went off the road. We've still got several hours of daylight left. I'd like to get some use out of them."

With that the two men stood up and headed for the door. As they reached it the door swung open to reveal a rather smug looking Sirius Black staring back at them.

"Are you two quite done making up yet?" He asked as he leaned against the doorframe withwhat looked like a thin piece of black licorice in his mouth.

Jack smirked. "Actually we are. Now if you'll get out of the way, we can start heading back to the car."

With a few provisions in one backpack the trio headed out of the Shrieking Shack and into the forbidden forest. The sun was still high in the sky as they trudged into the darkness of the trees. Sirius had transformed and was trotting along sniffing at the ground and scouting out the area ahead of them as Jack and Daniel followed.

----

"Do you know the way back to Hogwart's MajorCarter?" Teal'c asked as he watched his teammate furiously fumble with a map as she drove out of London.

"I have a pretty good idea. I was paying attention to the roads when the Colonel was driving us here last time."

"Then may I ask why you are treating that map in such a manner? It has caused you no harm, yet you disfigure it as though it were your enemy?"

Carter grinned sheepishly and handed the map to Teal'c as she maneuvered their vehicle down the road. The jaffa took the map and carefully folded it up placing it in the compartment between the driver and passenger seats.

"I just hope we make it in time. The Colonel seemed pretty certain that something big was about to happen."

"Indeed." Teal'c nodded stoically and Carter turned back to the road and continued driving.

A few hours passed, and it was clear that she had no idea where they were. She had taken the turn she was sure that Colonel O'Neill had taken when he had driven them to the school, but nothing seemed familiar.

"I think we're lost, Teal'c. I thought I knew where we were going, but all these trees look the same. We should have reached the lake by now."

"I believe you are correct." Carter turned to Teal'c as the jaffa warrior cocked his head and nodded in agreement with her, and she sighed in frustration.

She drove on for a few more minutes before something in the distance caught her attention and she pulled over to take a closer look.

----

"How much further, Jack?" Daniel wiped the sweat from his forehead and sipped at the canteen on water he had brought along.

"Just a bit more. The main road is a few more miles ahead."

With a sigh Daniel capped the canteen and let if fall to his side as they moved forward. The sun was starting to wane, and the eerie silence of the forest was beginning to creep the archeologist out just a bit as they continued on.

Sirius was still trotting along ahead of them and Jack quickened his pace. A bird cawed above them and Jack looked around as he kept moving.

"This forest is kinda creepy."

"I don't know, Daniel. I think it's rather nice."

Daniel rolled his eyes. "What about all those spiders we passed earlier? You didn't seem to think those were all that nice."

With a grin Jack shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Several minutes later a patch of sunlight seemed to break through the trees ahead of them. They quickened their pace and soon found themselves staring at a familiar sight. The wreckage of their rental car was still wedged against the tree trunk, and to their surprise Carter and Teal'c were standing beside the vehicle surveying the area as they approached.


	21. Chapter 20

Thanks so much for all the feedback people sent me on the last chapter.  I'm glad everyone is still interested and reading this story.  I am almost to the end of this fic (only a few more chapters left), that has left me utterly flabbergasted at how long it's become.  I really only intended this to be a short answer to Aussie Mel's challenge.  Who knew it would turn into this?  Well, I've rambled enough.  Back to your regularly scheduled programming...

* * *

"Just what do you two think you're doing here?" Jack's voice echoed through the trees as he glared at the other half of SG-1 that was currently standing a few feet in front of him.

"Sir, we came to help."

Shaking his head at Carter, Jack groaned. "And you? What do you have to say for yourself, Teal'c?"

"We believed we could be of assistant to you and SiriusBlack." The jaffa cocked an eyebrow in Jack's direction and Jack sighed heavily.

"What about Hammond? What did you tell him?"

Carter glanced at Teal'c and then slowly turned back to her CO. "We sort of told him that you'd explain things when you got back."

Jack bit back the curse that wanted to leave his lips as he glared at his 2IC. "You what?!"

"We convinced him your leaving was important, and that you wouldn't just throw your career away for nothing. He agreed to let us come after you, as long as he got a full explanation when we returned."

"I don't believe this." Jack leaned against the wreckage of his rental car as the rest of his team watched him in silence.

Sirius, who had transformed back into his human form once they had cleared the trees was the first to break the silence. "This is quite the team you have, Jack."

Jack nodded as he looked up at Sirius with a half smile on his face. "You could say that again."

"Well, as long as we're all here we might as well make the best of it." Daniel's voice seemed almost chipper as he looked over at Jack.

The colonel was less than pleased with his friend as he turned to glare at the younger man for moment.

"Let's get the gear out of this thing." Jack pointed to the wrecked car as he stood up. "Then hopefully we can make it back to the shack before dark."

They all nodded and gathered up the contents of the vehicle and readied their packs. As Jack and Sirius started back into the woods, Carter's voice made them turn.

"Are we just gonna leave the cars here like this?" Both wizards looked from each other to her and back. They nodded to one another briefly as Jack pulled out his wand and motioned for the others to move out of the way.

"Evanesco!" He shouted as he pointed at one car and then the next as they both disappeared.

"Um...sir, what did you do to them exactly?"

"I made them disappear, can't you tell?" Jack smirked as he adjusted the strap on his pack and turned back towards the trees.

The others followed at a brisk pace as the group made their way back through the forest. Sirius had chosen to remain in his human form as they traveled back, but was still taking point as Jack and the others followed his lead.

----

Somewhere near the edge of the forest he watched from behind a small rock as the groundskeeper entered his hut and then walked back out with a bowl in his beefy hands. Hagrid set the water-filled bowl down in front of the hippogriff currently chained to a stake in the middle of pumpkin patch. For a moment Hagrid looked up as he heard something move in the distance. He could just make out the outline of the tiny creature creeping through the garden of pumpkins. His hand went down to catch the creature, but the hippogriff was quicker and snatched it up by the tail.

"Let im go, Beaky. That there belongs to sumon else. Give it here." Hagrid stretched his hand out and reluctantly Buckbeak dropped the creature into Hagrid's hand. "Best get you inside. I'm sure Ron'll be lookin fer you."

Hagrid held Scabbers in his hands and carried him inside the hut. He carefully placed him in small cage he kept just above the stove. As he turned back around the soft purr of a cat caught his attention, and he went to the window where Crookshanks was now sitting. He could tell the cat was eyeing the cage where Scabbers was being held and he shook his head at the cat.

"I guess you didn't eat im afterall." Hagrid ran a hand down Crookshank's back and the cat purred louder, still keeping its eyes fixed on the cage.

----

They'd reached the middle of the forest as the sun was setting fast behind them. Teal'c had moved up and was now walking beside Sirius while Jack had fallen to the end of the pack and was scanning the area as they moved on through the forest.

Looking up Jack saw the first stars come into view and a soft whisper met his ears. He sighed and clutched at his pack tightly as he tried to shut the voice from his mind.

"Sir, are you alright?" Major Carter asked as she turned back to see her CO looking slightly flushed.

"I'm fine, Carter. It's just been a long day." With a nod she let it go and kept walking, still casting a glance back in the Colonel's direction every so often.

A few more minutes went and when she looked back again Jack brought his hands to his head stumbled to his knees.

"Jack!" "Sir!" Daniel and Carter shouted simultaneously as they both watched Jack fall to the ground.

Teal'c and Sirius came up behind them as they bent down to check on their friend and teammate, who was crumpled to the ground clutching his head.

As Daniel placed his hand on Jack's shoulder he looked up and Daniel couldn't help but move back as he stared at the vacant look in Jack's eyes.

"Secrets will be undone. Truth will destroy a soul and set another free. Destiny is in the stars. An evil shall come to power. A wrong will be made right, but the darkness will rise again and only a power from stars and the One will end it." Jack's voice was hollow as he spoke and once the words had left him he collapsed into Daniel and Sam's arms.

Teal'c gently picked up the Colonel as he slowly blinked back to consciousness. "O'Neill are you well?"

"What the-" Jack looked around at the concerned expressions on his friend's faces and groaned. "Damn! I passed out didn't I?"

"Yeah Jack, you did. You were saying something weird right before you did too." Jack looked curiously at Daniel and then at the others and shook his head.

"What did I say?"

Sirius was the first to answer. "You were talking about the stars and darkness that would rise again."

Daniel nodded in agreement and then added some more. "You also said something about a wrong being made right. You don't remember any of that?"

"That'd be a big honkin no. Not like that would be the first time though." Jack lowered his head and pulled away from Teal'c and the others as he got to his feet.

"If you're up to moving, we should get to it. It's not safe to be out here in the dark." The tone of Sirius' voice made Daniel and Carter shiver and they all gathered themselves and began to move again.

They made it to the shack an hour or so later. No one had spoken about Jack's odd behavior while in the forest, though it was all any of them could think about. It wasn't until the next morning that Daniel brought the subject up while they were all munching on some of the food he had bought in Hogsmeade the day before.

"What exactly happened last night in the forest, Jack?"

Jack peered over the top of his cup at Daniel, who was seating across the room from him. "I honestly don't know."

"Well, I wrote down what you said, or at least what I think you said." Scooting closer to Jack, Daniel pulled a notepad from the front pocket of his jacket and handed it to Jack, opened to a page that had the archeologist's familiar scrawling on it.

Jack scanned the words and shook his head. "That doesn't make sense. I don't remember much. There were voices and they kept getting louder and louder and then it all went black."

"What voices, sir?" Carter piped up from her spot in the corner across the room from Jack.

"The stars, Carter. They were talking to me. I just couldn't make out what they were saying. They got so loud my head hurt, and that's all I remember."

Carter stared blankly at Jack and curiously shook her head. "You heard the stars talking to you?"

"I know it sounds strange but yes. I think I've always been able to hear the stars." Jack sighed at the skeptical expression on his 2IC's face.

"I once heard a tale as child of a warrior on Chulak that could speak to the stars. It was said that he gained his strength from them, and that they would warn him of impending danger so that he might ready himself for battle." Teal'c voice startled them as they turned towards the doorway where the jaffa was standing after just entering the room.

Jack smiled as he took a drink from his coffee cup. "It's not the easiest thing to believe."

"Neither is believing you can do magic, but I've seen that so I'm inclined to believe you now, even though it sounds insane to me, sir." Jack nodded to Carter and Teal'c as he handed Daniel back his notepad.

"Do you think this has anything to do with Sirius or Harry?" Daniel asked as he stuffed the notepad into his pocket.

"It's possible. If that's true, it doesn't sound like us being here will make much difference in how things turn out."

"Maybe we're here to make sure things turn out the way they're supposed to, Jack." Sighing Jack nodded rather skeptically at Daniel..

"Daniel's right, sir. If this, whatever you said was real, then maybe that's why we're here." Daniel and Carter looked at each other and then back at Jack and he sighed and shook his head.

"When did you become such a believer, Carter?" Jack asked as he shrugged his shoulders at the Major.

"I can't say I'm a true believer, but I'm willing to suspend my own beliefs until I'm proven wrong."

Jack laughed softly and brought his cup to his lips and drank from it. "I guess that's the scientist in you."

"Where's Sirius anyway?" Daniel looked around and then up at Teal'c who cocked in eyebrow knowingly.

"He has gone to seek out the feline, Crookshanks."

Jack cursed under his breath as he shook his head furiously. "I swear that fool wants to get caught. Not many know he can change into a dog, but if someone sees a strange mutt hanging around the school, they're gonna be suspicious."

The others watched as Jack got to his feet and started for the door, brushing past Teal'c as he walked out of the room.

Several hours later Sirius returned with Crookshanks in tow and Jack shook his head as the two four legged creatures curled around each other in the corner of the room.

"You're gonna get caught if you're not careful." Sirius growled at Jack and then uncurled himself from Crookshooks and padded towards Jack.

He transformed just as he came within a few feet of Jack and angrily waved his arms. "Why do you have be so damned overprotective?"

"I'm not overprotective. I just don't wanna see you get caught. In case you forgot, there's a pack of dementors and half the wizarding world looking for you!"

Sirius yelled and reached for a nearby chair and threw it at the far wall, causing Crookshanks to hiss. "Like I could forget that Jack!"

"You could fool me. You keep running around in the daylight like that, and someone is gonna catch you!"

"The only people alive that know I'm an animagus are you and Remus!"

The two continued to yell, and their shouts brought the other members of SG-1 to check things out. They all stood in the doorway watching as Jack and Sirius' shouts grew louder and louder. Finally, Daniel stepped in-between both men. Realizing everyone was staring at them, the two men quieted.

"You two sound like children. What the hell is going on?" Daniel looked back and forth, waiting for one of them to respond.

It was Sirius who answered first, seeing Jack cross his arms over his chest stubbornly. "He's too bloody overprotective. I don't need a mother hen. I'm quite capable of taking care of myself."

"Oh fer cryin out loud! I already told you I'm not overprotective!" At those words Daniel and Carter shook their head and tried to suppress the laugh they both knew was threatening to leave them. Teal'c raised an eyebrow questioningly and Jack sighed heavily. "Okay, maybe I'm a little overprotective, but only when I care. I don't wanna see anything bad happen to you Siri, not if I can help it."

Sirius shook his head. "It's not your job to protect me, Jack."

Jack scoffed and rolled his eyes. "That's what James said when I tried to tell him about Peter."

"When did you tell him about Peter?" The shock in Sirius' voice was clear and Daniel and the others moved closer.

"A few fays before he and Lily died. I didn't know who they were choosing as a secret keeper, but I wanted to make sure it wasn't him. James thought I was crazy. He said I was having one of my weird dreams again, and that it was nothing. He said it wasn't my responsibility to take care of him or Lily. I knew then that he'd already chosen a secret keeper. I hoped he had chosen you, and I left it at that."

Sirius dropped his head into his hands. "He never said a word when I told him to switch to Peter. Why did he agree to it? Why?!"

Jack sighed heavily and stepped closer to Sirius, putting a hand on his shoulder as he did so. "It was his choice. Just like it's your choice to keep going out there. I care. That's why I say something to you about it. In the end if you go out it's all on you."

"Now you're trying to make me feel guilty?"

"No, that's not my intention."

"It certainly sounds that way!" Sirius' nostrils flared as he looked into Jack's eyes.

"Guys. Calm down. No one is trying to make anyone feel guilty or anything like that. You're two friends that want what's best for each other." Daniel's voice of reason made both men step back from one another and turn in the archeologist's direction.

They could see the sincerity and concern in the young man's eyes and they nodded. Carter and Teal'c stepped forward to join Daniel and Jack leaned back against the wall.

"Did you find out anything from Crookshanks?" Jack pointed down to the orange feline that was rubbing against his leg.

Sirius smiled and took a step closed and picked up the cat and gently stroked his fur. "He says that Peter is with Hagrid."

"What's he doing with him?" Jack brought his hand to his chin.

"I think Peter was trying to get away, but he stumbled onto our favorite groundskeeper. He's holding him, so he can return him to the Weasley boy."

"Is this good or bad, sir?" Jack and Sirius turned to Carter and Jack shrugged his shoulders.

"Could go either way. If Hagrid hasn't given Peter back to the Weasley kid we have a chance of getting to him before he does."

"How do we find out?"

Sirius smiled at Daniel's question and let Crookshanks jump down to the floor. "That's what he's going to do in the morning. We can plan from there."


	22. Chapter 21

_This is the unbetead version of this chapter, so apologize for any errors. I did my best to get rid of them, but I'm only human so there's bound to be some I missed. Anyway, hope you enjoy. The last few chapters will be posted by next week._

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Crookshanks pounced through the door with Sirius on his heels, while Jack and the others stared blankly waiting for Sirius to transform and tell them what they'd found out. 

"He's there. Unfortunately Hagrid is so depressed about that hippogriff of his that's set to be executed he's hardly left his hut for anything. We may have to wait another day or so to get to Peter."

Jack shook his head and ran his fingers over his chin as if in thought. "Do you think he'll give Ron back his pet before the execution?"

"I doubt it. He's too preoccupied with that hippogriff."

"Alright. Then we wait until the day of the execution. Hagrid we'll never know we were there." Sirius nodded to Jack and reached down to pick up Crookshanks who was rubbing against the Colonel's leg yet again.

"He really is taken with you, sir." Carter and Daniel chuckled softly as Jack turned his annoyed gaze on them as he dumped the cat on Sirius lap.

"Laugh it up you two. Just keep laughing. I'll get you both when we're back home."

"It does seem strange that this feline enjoys your company to such a degree, O'Neill."

Jack rolled his eyes at his jaffa friend and sank down into the chair by the wall. "You two? I'm surrounded by traitors."

They all laughed as Crookshanks jumped from Sirius' arms and ran to Jack's lap. As he did so the Colonel groaned in defeat as he ran his fingers over his stomach and then down his back.

"Alright. I give up. I don't know what it is you like about me, but I guess it ain't so bad."

Another day came and went as Jack and the others prepared to go after Peter. With the help of Crookshanks they were certain that Hagrid would be so busy with Buckbeak that he'd never notice them sneak into the hut and take the little rat from his cage.

Finally the morning came and as Jack sat up from the thin sleeping bag he was in, he caught a glimpse of the sun as the rose in the morning sky. There were glorious shades of pink and blue caressing the sky as the night said goodbye to the day. Pulling out of the sleeping bag he stood up and drank in the morning air.

Sirius' voice made him turn and he smiled at the wizard. "It's going to work, Jack."

"I hope you're right. I just have a strange feeling. It's not a bad feeling, but whatever happens today is gonna change things. I don't know how, but it will."

"I don't doubt that, my friend. I only hope that it changes things in our favor."

"If what I said in the forest is true, then even if it is in our favor, bad things are still gonna happen."

"Maybe so, but if we keep Harry safe than that's what matters."

Jack sighed and placed a hand on Sirius' shoulder. The other wizard smiled and they watched silently as the last remnants of the night faded into sunlight.

Teal'c walked into the room, having just finished his kelnoreem, and Carter followed shortly after with a bleary-eyed Daniel behind her. The uncaffeinated linguist was quite a sight in the morning as he ran a hand through his unkempt hair and yawned.

"I know you want this so here." Jack chuckled as he handed Daniel a steaming mug, and the archeologist's eyes lit up as the aroma hit him.

"You're a god."

"No I'm just a colonel, but thanks for the compliment." Daniel growled as he breathed in the aroma of his coffee and brought the warm brew to his lips, drinking heartily.

Jack turned his gaze to the other half of SG-1. "Well campers. Looks like today's the day. You two ready?"

"Yes sir." "I am ready O'Neill."

Both nodded as they spoke and Jack smiled in response.

"Well, then let's go over the plan one more time." Quietly, they all took their seats beside the Colonel as he went over the details of the plan one again.

------

Several hours passed before it was time to put their plan into action. Jack and Sirius had gone out to do some last minute reconnaissance leaving Daniel and the others alone in the shack.

"Am I the only one that has a weird feeling about all this?" Daniel anxiously toyed with the zipper on his jacket as he peered out one of the cracks in the slats covering the windows.

Teal'c nodded and cocked his head in Daniel's direction. "You are not. I too feel a strangeness surrounding the events of late."

"I have to agree. There is something off about this whole thing. Ever since the Colonel collapsed in the forest the other day, it hasn't felt quite right." Carter agreed with her teammates as she checked the supplies in her pack once more.

"That was pretty strange. The way he went all rigid and started mumbling like he did, it was creepy."

With a nod Carter moved closer to where Daniel and Teal'c were seated. "I know what you mean, Daniel. I was scared there for a minute."

"I just hope Jack knows what he's doing." Daniel sighed as he looked back and forth between his teammates.

"I believe O'Neill knows exactly what he is doing." Teal'c's voice sounded reassuring, but it was only a slight comfort to them.

------

The moon was shining brightly as Jack and Sirius crept towards Hagrid's hut. As they drew nearer, Jack motioned for Sirius to go around the other side of the hut and the two split. Jack stealthily moved through the trees until he had a clear view of the backdoor of the hut. From his vantage point he could see Hagrid inside, and it was obvious he was speaking to someone or a group of someones. Then as he moved a bit closer he caught sight of two figures waiting just outside the pumpkin patch beside the house. They looked strangely familiar.

Curiously he edged his way as close as he could and bit back a curse when he recognized the two people near the hut. He had no idea what Harry and his friend were up to, and his mind was already jumping to a number of conclusions, none of which were making him feel any more comfortable with the situation. Quietly he started to move towards them, but stopped in his tracks when he saw the backdoor to Hagrid's hut open. He watched in confusion as Harry and his friends exited the hut and then watched as the other 'Harry' and his friend moved away from the garden.

'I must be losin it.' He thought to himself. Slowly he blinked and rubbed at his eyes, and still both versions of Harry and his friend could still be seen. He swallowed the lump in his throat and stepped behind a tree so as not to be seen.

Luckily he was close enough to hear what the 'Harry' and his friends that had just left Hagrid's was saying and he cursed again to himself, hearing that they now had Peter. His first thought was to follow them, but he turned to see the other Harry attempting to free the large hippogriff that was chained in the pumpkin patch. With his eyes away from the other group of children, they ran off and were too far away for him to see them when he'd finally turned around.

"We've got to go after them, Jack." Sirius voice caught his attention and he looked to his right to see an untransformed Sirius Black waving for him to follow.

In a flash Sirius transformed and was hot on the trail of the three children and Jack was just behind him, his mind still reeling over whether or not he had actually seen two very different, yet very similar Harry Potter's just moments before.

A shout from one of the children brought Jack from his thoughts and he looked up from his spot in the trees to see Sirius diving over Harry and Hermione to get to the Weasley boy who was clutching at his pet rat. He opened his mouth to stop Sirius, but no words left him. Dumbfounded he watched as Sirius dragged the boy off, and from the corner of his eye he caught sight of Crookshanks running to catch up with Sirius.

"Damn it!" Jack spat onto the ground and reached for the radio strapped to his right shoulder. "Daniel, Carter, do you read me?"

"We read you, Jack. What's going on?" Daniel answered and Jack gave his team the quick version of what was going on.

"Sirius is headed back towards you three. I want you to get outta there. Stay hidden. I'm right behind them, and I'll radio when it's safe. Over."

"Understood, sir. Over and out." Carter was the first to respond and Jack slipped the radio back on his shoulder as he made his way back towards the Shrieking Shack.

Jack reached the shack several minutes later and he could already hear the voices shouting inside. There was a rustling in the bushes near him and he turned quickly, wand in hand.

"I thought I told you three to find someplace safe?" His words were a whisper, but the frustration was clear as the rest of SG-1 came into view.

"We tried. We didn't want to be too far away in case you needed us, Jack." Daniel stood with arms crossed over his chest and Jack sighed.

"Fine. I'm going inside. You three stay put. Maintain radio silence for now." He started into the building and quickly turned around again. "And don't come inside, no matter what you hear."

The other three nodded and Jack slipped in the side door, and made his way carefully and quietly up the steps. As he reached the room where the children were he could hear Sirius shouting madly and Harry shouting back. There was someone standing just in the doorway and the stranger pounced inside before Jack had a chance to stop him.

A hand on Jack's shoulder caused him to jerk his head around in response and he nearly hit the floor when he saw a head and arm dangling in front him, seemingly attaching to thin air.

"Sev! What are you doing here?" Jack whispered as softly as he could while more shouting erupted from inside the room.

Severus Snape removed the invisibility cloak from his shoulders and shook his head. "I could ask the same of you. You're not even supposed to be in this country."

"I came to help Sirius."

"That figures. You and your friends." The other wizard was clearly upset as he slipped the cloak back on and entered the room where all the shouting was coming from.

Jack cursed silently as he listened from the doorway as Remus Lupin and Sirius Black tried to explain their story to Harry and his friends. Severus had waited until the perfect moment to make himself known and Jack waited until he heard Severus threaten Sirius and he pushed himself through the door.

"Stop this, Sev! You're making a mistake!" Jack's voice echoed through the room and everyone turned I his direction as he pointed his wand directly at his brother, who in turn did the same.

"Don't think you can stop me, Jack! This isn't about you! He deserves to pay for what he did! How can you defend him!?"

"I defend him because I know the truth! The truth you refuse to listen to!" Jack kept his wand on Severus and turned to the others. He motioned for Sirius to pick up Remus' wand and the wizard did so quickly and freed his friend from the magical bonds Severus had used to confine him.

"Jack what are you doing here? You've been helping him all this time?" Remus stood and moved closer resting a hand on Jack's shoulder.

"I had to Remus. We had to make it right. Catching Peter was the only way to make everyone believe."

"Would someone please explain what's going on? And who the bloody hell is he?" The anger on Harry's face clear and Jack sighed as he looked from Sirius and Remus and then to Severus.

"You've got a right to know the whole truth, Harry." Jack turned to Severus and lowered his wand. "Let us tell him and you the truth and then you can decide whether or not Sirius is taken to the dementors."

Severus reluctantly lowered his wand. "Fine. Say whatever it is you think you must."

Jack placed his wand in his pocket and motioned for everyone to take a seat. With a sigh he looked first at Harry and then at Sirius.

"To answer your question, my name is Jack Corrigan. I went to school with these three." Jack pointed to Sirius, and Remus and then to Severus.

"So you knew my parents?"

Jack looked away for a moment and then took a deep breath before speaking. "You could say that…Lily was my sister."

"You're lying!" Harry, Ron and Hermione shouted at the same time and Jack brought his arms up to calm them.

"You can't be serious?" Remus glared wide-eyed at his friend. Shaking his head in disbelief.

"I'm telling the truth. I can prove it."

"How?" Harry spoke up, though his face was still flushed with anger and confusion.

Jack motioned for Severus to come closer and reluctantly the wizard complied. He also motioned for Harry to come closer and the boy did so almost as reluctantly as Snape had. They all three put their wands together and Jack and Severus began to chant the words to what was obviously some sort of spell.

"Of course it's the Familias charm. It will show exactly how any witch or wizards are related." Hermione nearly shouted as she moved closer to get a look at the spell. "What does Professor Snape have to be a part of it though?"

Her question went unanswered as a puff of smoke rose up between Harry and Jack showing the image of Jack and Lily next to each other, under the image of a woman that Harry didn't recognize, but who looked very much like his mother. Above the unknown woman's head was the word mother. Harry gasped in disbelief and was barely catching his breath when another puff of smoke rose up between Jack and Severus. The smoke cloud revealed another image of Jack, but this one had the image of Severus next to it and above them was the image of dark-haired man that had the words father above his head.

"You're my uncle?" Harry's voice was thick with emotion as he looked at Jack and then at Snape. "I don't understand."

"Lily and I had the same mother and Severus and I had the same father. When I came to Hogwart's we I was put in Slytherin, and Lily was put in Gryffindor house. Since we didn't share the same last name, no one even guessed we were related. We decided no to tell anyone. I think the only one Lily ever told was your father, but that wasn't until after we'd all left school."

"Why didn't you bother telling us?" Remus asked.

"Yeah, why not? We were your friends." Sirius was almost seething as he looked at Jack and Severus.

"You mean the mutt didn't know?" Snape practically snarled as he turned his glare to Sirius, and Sirius was on his feet ready to lunge and Snape in response.

"I've had about all I can take of you two." Jack stood and raised his wand and aimed it at both men. Silvery cords leapt from his wand and bound both wizards hands and feet before they had a chance to respond. They fell in a heap together and fumbled to reach a sitting position as the children began to laugh.

"All this time, we never knew." Remus lowered his head solemnly.

"Severus and I were death eaters. We couldn't risk anyone using Lily against us. It was bad enough that…Voldemort was after her and James in the first place. Had he known she was my sister…" Jack's voice trailed off as the thoughts of what might have happened, and what did happen flooded his mind.

"You were one of Voldemort's followers?" Hermione stepped forward, her posture demanding a response.

"Yes, I was. I did it to help someone I cared about. In the end, Lily still died and Sirius and I have been running ever since." Jack cast a somber glance in Severus' direction that the young witch couldn't help but notice.

"So what does all this have to do with Scabbers? How is it you all think he's this Peter Pettigrew?" Ron piped up from his spot just behind Harry, where he was still nursing his wounded leg.

It was Remus who answered. "Because we've seen him transform too many times not to recognize him."

Jack stood and stepped closer to Ron and reached and hand out towards him and the frantic creature in his hands, while Harry cautiously watched on. "May I?"

Ron nervously handed Scabbers to Jack and he unceremoniously dropped the creature and let him scurry a few feet before he and Remus trained the wands on him and a flash of blue light left their wands and connected with the rat, transforming into his human form.

"Move any further and you'll wish I'd killed you, Peter." Jack's voice was firm and the tone was grave.

Peter stayed still as Remus moved closer and used his wand to bind Peter the way Jack had bound Sirius and Severus, except he left this mouth unbound. He moved Peter to where Sirius and Severus were still seated and sat him down between them. The balding, rat-like man squirmed as Sirius angrily fought his bonds to get at him, while Severus glared into his beady eyes.

"I think Sirius has something he'd like to tell you." Jack pointed his wand at Sirius mouth and the binding there came undone.

"You bastard! How could you betray us all like that!"

"I…I was only protecting myself. The dark lord has great powers." Peter turned to Jack. "You know what I speak of."

"Don't talk to me about Voldemort!" Peter cringed at Jack's mention of the wizard's name. "You fear him don't you? You fear your Master?"

"He-he is powerful. I had no choice."

"Liar! You always had a choice. James would have died before surrendering to HIM!" Sirius screamed and fumbled with his bindings, futilely trying to reach Peter.

"If you hadn't chosen me as a secret keeper they might still be alive!" Peter snarled defiantly and Jack stepped up and let his fist connect with Peter's jaw.

"You sniveling little rat! How dare you blame Sirius for what you did?!"

"No! He's right." Sirius lowered his head. "If I hadn't convinced James to switch they might still be alive."

"Enough!" Harry shouted and all heads turned in his direction.

"Please Harry Potter! I never meant to hurt you parents! James and Lily were my friends." Jack brought his hand back to hit Peter again, but Remus beat him to it.

"How dare you speak to him?! How dare you speak to Harry after what you did?!"

"Professor Lupin leave him be." Remus turned to look at Harry and then let go of Peter.

"You told Voldemort where my parents were?" Harry looked straight at Peter and the older wizard nodded weakly. "You knew he wanted them dead and you led him to them?!"

This time Peter didn't respond and Harry raised his wand, first to Peter and then he aimed it towards the window and let a curse shatter the window to pieces as he screamed in anger.

tbc...


	23. Chapter 22

_Thanks for all the feedback everyone gave me for the last chapter. I really appreciate it, and I'm glad people are still interested in this fic. It's been a blast writing it. The final chapters should be up by tomorrow night. Now onto the story..._

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Daniel paced back and forth in front of the Shrieking Shack as Carter and Teal'c watched in silence. A glance at his watch and Daniel's impatience was heightened. 

"We have to fine out what's going on in there. They've been in there for almost an hour."

Carter sighed and shook her head. "The colonel said to stay put."

"I don't care, Sam. This is crazy. We have no idea what happened."

Teal'c stood and placed a hand on Daniel's shoulder and the younger man seemed to calm a bit. The big jaffa looked as though he were about to speak when they heard a loud crash coming from the top floor of the shack. "Perhaps you are correct. An investigation might be warranted."

With that the trio carefully made their way inside the shack. As they crept up the stairs they began to hear the voices coming from upstairs. As quietly as they could they moved close to the door stopping a few steps below and listening as the conversation continued.

-----

Seeing his nephew's pain, Jack moved towards him, but stopped as Harry turned around.

"Do you believe all this Professor Snape?" Severus balked at the question, completely unprepared for it.

"Well…My brother hasn't lie to me before, so I suppose I do."

"Then you won't take Sirius to the dementors?"

Grudgingly Severus shook his head at Harry, and Jack used his wand to release the binding on him. He turned to do the same to Sirius, and once he had Black leapt at Peter, snatching the wand from Remus' hand as he did so, and aimed straight at Peter's throat.

"NO!" Everyone seemed to shout all at once, but Sirius didn't seem to care.

"Let him go. Please!" As Harry spoke, Sirius turned his head towards the boy and gave him a confused look.

"You want him to live? After all he's done, you'd spare him?" Sirius asked as he eased off of Peter, keeping the wand aimed at him as he did so.

"Yes. My father wouldn't have wanted his best friend to become a killer because of him."

Jack and Remus nodded in agreement and Sirius handed the wand back to Remus. "You're a far better man than I am, Harry, but you're right."

"Thank you Harry. Many thanks dear child!" Peter's whiny voice made them all turn and Sirius grabbed the wizard by the hair.

"Don't you ever speak to him! You don't have the right!" He spat in the wizard's face and shoved him back on the ground.

Hermione, ever the voice of reason, spoke up from where she was sitting beside Ron. "Let's take him back to the castle. Professor Dumbledore can deal with Pettigrew and someone can check on Ron's leg."

Jack sighed and shook his head. "She's right."

-----

They heard Jack tell someone to open the door and Daniel, Teal'c and Carter quickly eased themselves back down and into the room at the bottom of the stairs. Once they were certain that Jack and the others were gone, Daniel opened the door to the room.

"They're headed back to the school. We might be able to beat them there if we hurry." Carter nodded in agreement with Daniel, and both looked to Teal'c.

With a quick nod the jaffa led them out the door and they hurried into the night air, trying hastily to beat Jack and the others to the school.

-----

Jack nodded and motioned for Harry to open the door. Using his wand, Sirius bound Peter and levitated him off the ground and moved him out of the door.

As the others left, Jack felt a familiar hand brush past his arm and he looked up at Remus as he sighed and hung his head. "You have every right to be angry, Remus."

"That's bloody right." For a moment there was a flash of anger in Lupin's eyes and just as quickly as it came, it faded and was replaced by a crooked smile. "It's seems like all of you kept me out of the loop in one way or another. Why didn't you tell any of us? I mean I understand about Voldemort, but-"

"I wanted to protect her. Lily was everything to me. Her and Severus were all I had. When our mum died I wanted to make sure she was protected. I thought she'd be safer if no one knew we were related. Then everything happened with Sev, and Voldemort went after Lily anyway."

Remus shook his head and sighed heavily. "So much went wrong back then."

"True, but as long as Harry is safe we still have a chance to set things right. That's what Lily and James would have wanted." Both men nodded and Jack pulled Remus in for a quick hug. "I am sorry for not telling you."

"You were protecting your family. I can't blame you for that."

A moment later the two wizards joined the others at the trap door on the bottom floor. One by one they each went through, with Hermione, Remus and Severus taking the lead, while Jack took over levitating Peter and, Sirius and Harry followed.

"The tunnel will get us back to the castle the fastest. Sirius, help with Ron." Jack was busy spouting out orders when he felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned to see Harry with an expression of confusion on his face as he walked beside him.

"We're family. Why didn't aunt Petunia ever mention you? She hated my parents, but she still talked about them."

With a sigh Jack started down the stairs and into the tunnel, motioning for Harry to follow. "Petie's always been a bit jealous of your mom and me."

"Petie?" Harry chuckled softly at the thought of his stuffy aunt answering to a name like 'Petie.'

"Um…well, I never liked Petunia as a name. It always seemed so uptight."

Again Harry laughed to himself and Jack couldn't help but join in. "Why was she jealous?"

"Your aunt's a squib. She was always jealous that Lily and I got all the magic."

Harry nodded as some things seemed to click in his mind. "Where have you been all this time?"

"After your parents died, I ran. I knew the Ministry would be looking for any death eater they could find. I didn't want to risk being found." Jack could see the emotions play on the young boy's face and he couldn't help but look away for a moment.

"So you left…you left me?"

He snapped his head up quickly and shook it furiously. "No Harry. I knew Dumbledore would take care of you. He sent you to Petie, didn't he?"

"My aunt hates me. She lied about my parents. She told me they died in a car crash. I didn't even know the truth about how they died until I came here to Hogwart's."

Jack ground his fist against his leg and grit his teeth. "Of all the stupid, foolhardy things my idiot sister and her muggle husband could do…"

His voice trailed off, but Harry was sure he heard a few expletives used to describe his aunt and uncle before Jack spoke up again. "I can't imagine it was a very pleasant childhood, growing up with the Dursleys then?"

"Not really. It could have been worse, I suppose."

"I really thought she would have given up on her prejudice by now. I guess I was wrong."

They kept walking as Jack shook his head and listened to Harry talk about the Dursleys a bit more. By the time Harry finished, Jack was seething and he stopped just short of the exit to the tunnel and saw Sirius and Ron just behind them.

"I swear, Albus Dumbledore is going to get a piece of my mind over this. How could he…" Again Jack went off on a verbal tirade, this time about the Hogwart's headmaster.

"Calm down, Jack. Dumbledore had his reasons. Just ask him yourself when we get to the castle." At the sound of Severus' voice, Jack quieted and started to go through the end of the tunnel when a loud gasp from Harry caught his attention.

"Does that make you my uncle as well?" Harry glared at Severus and the Potions Master groaned.

"I suppose, technically, on some level…" Severus stumbled for an answer and then turned to Jack who was snickering as he let Peter's head smack into the ceiling of the tunnel. "Damn!"

"He's right, Sev. As my brother, it kinda does make you his uncle."

Severus let loose a string of curses and Jack instinctively put his hands over Harry's ears as though he were a little child, both of them chuckling softly as they walked further down the tunnel.

"Honestly, Snape! Must you use such language around the children." Sirius smirked and it was all Snape could do not to strangle the other wizard as they followed Jack out of the tunnel.

As they all made their way out of the tunnel, Snape looked towards the sky and let out another curse. Remus did the same realizing he had not taken his potion as the full moon began to have its affect on him.

"He didn't take his potion!" Snape shouted as he moved Ron and Hermione from Remus' view.

"Get the children out of here, you two! I'll handle Remus!" Sirius shouted and for a moment Jack looked away from Peter and his levitation spell was broken.

Peter fell to the ground with at thud, and he struggled with his still bound hands and feet. Jack reached down to pull the wizard to his feet and slowed when he heard the growl coming from behind him.

The werewolf bared his sharp teeth at the group as they all stood silently frozen in place. Hermione instinctively took hold of Ron, who was leaning against the tree where Sirius had let go of him. Severus quickly turned his head towards Jack and both men nodded as they pushed the children and Peter to the other side of the Whomping Willow.

In a flash, the werewolf pounced and Sirius had only a moment to transform. He did so and charged the werewolf, giving Jack and the others time to get out of the way. Dog and wolf struggled, growled and slashed at one another, until Sirius managed to draw them far enough away from the others.

"We have to go after them!" Harry shouted and before Jack could react, the boy had slipped away from him and was running in the direction that Sirius and Remus had gone.

"Harry No!" Jack called out in vain as Harry sped away.

No one noticed that Peter was gingerly reaching for Hermione's pocket, and he snatched her wand up and used it to untie himself before anyone could respond.

"Peter!" Severus reached for the wizard, but he was too late.

"NOOOOO!" Jack watched in horror as Peter transformed into his animagi form and scurried away into the night.

For a brief moment Jack saw everything begin to fall apart and he tried his best to breath as he tried to decide which direction to go. He knew he had no chance of catching Peter, and that angered him deeply. Following Harry was his only choice.

"Jack. I'll get them to the castle. Find Harry." Without another word Severus swept a confused Ron and Hermione forward and hurried them to the castle.

Jack didn't hesitate, he was already running as quickly as he could in the direction that Harry had gone.

-----

Daniel and Carter were just behind Teal'c as they neared the Whomping Willow. The had heard the shouts moments before, but when the reached the tree, there was no one in sight. They could see the tree begin to sway as they got closer and a branch swooped down and slammed against the ground just in front of them. With a gasp Daniel stepped back and Teal'c motioned for the team to move to a safer distance from the tree.

"Where would they have gone?" Daniel asked as he looked around the dimly lit area.

"It appears that they split up. There are tracks leading into the forest, and others that appear to be going towards the school grounds." Teal'c pointed towards the forest and the Daniel and Carter nodded.

"Can you tell which way the Colonel went?" Carter asked as Teal'c meticulously scanned the area with this flashlight in hand.

All three were silent for a moment as the jaffa worked, and when he finally lifted his head in their direction they were anxiously awaiting his answer. "I believe I can."

Following his lead, they started to follow the tracks leading away from the school. They moved as quickly as they could, and the shouts were unmistakable as the rest of SG-1 neared the lake. They were mere meters from Jack's position as they saw him writhing on the ground as though something were attacking him. A cold numbness surrounded them and they seemed to freeze in their tracks.

Daniel recognized the feeling from the last few times they had encountered the dementors and he let out a muffled groan as he tried to regain some sense of himself. He tried to think of something, anything that he could possibly do to stop what he was sure was going on, but nothing came to mind.

"O'Neill!" Teal'c cried out to their helpless comrade from his seemingly frozen position just beside Daniel and the young man blinked.

Quickly he thought back to the words he'd heard Jack say when the dementors attacked them before and frustrated he sank to his knees. 'Remember Daniel! Dammit words are your life! You can do this. Just think!' He focused as hard as his fogged mind could until the words finally came to him.

"Accium Quertus Nothas Learuim!" He shouted the words as loud as he could.

Carter and Teal'c stared blankly at him as he repeated the words again and again until all three of them fell to the ground.

In the distance, just coming across the lake they saw what looked like a large stag running towards Jack. Teal'c and Carter were already doubled over on the ground, and Daniel was holding his head as the icy pain washed over them all. The Colonel seemed to relax and went still on the ground as the creature approached, and Daniel let his eyes slide shut as the soft sound of hooves on earth could be heard all around him.

-----

The sweat poured down his face as he ran through the trees, trying to get to his nephew and friend. As he pressed on he felt the familiar coldness of the dementor's presense getting closer and he took a deep breath and pushed himself to keep moving. He could make out the treeline approaching and he could hear someone shouting.

Instinctively he knew it had to be Harry, and he ran as fast as he could to get to him. The closer he got, the worse the dementors were effecting him. He stumbled as he reached the treeline, and he could see Harry standing over Sirius' body waving his wand futilely at the dementors swooping down on them. Jack pulled out his wand and began to shout out the Patronus charm in tandem with Harry, but it was useless.

He fell to the ground just as Harry did the same. Two dementors were already zeroed in on his position and they were moving towards him rather quickly. With what little strength he had left Jack pulled himself to his knees and saw Harry do the same. He tried one more time to fend off the dementors and then he felt himself falling to the ground as the last whisps of a Patronus charm left his wand.

Slowly his eyes drifted upwards to look at the two dementors that were still approaching him. He let out a blood-curdling scream as the dementor in front of him lifted it's hood and began to devour his soul. The pain began to envelope him and he could feel himself fading as his body connected hard with the ground. Just as he was closing his eyes he saw what looked like a stag running across the lake and he could have sworn he heard a familiar voice calling out to him, though he couldn't quite place whose voice it was, as his eyes finally closed.

tbc...


	24. Chapter 23

Slowly his eyes drifted open and he could see the walls around him as he took in a deep breath. He was in the castle, and a quick glance out the window told him he was rather high up. Silently he cursed himself for getting caught, and just as quickly his mind flashed back to what had happened earlier and he cringed in horror.

He could still feel the dementors surrounding him, and Harry doing everything he could to save him. His mind was reeling, and he knew he had to find out if Harry was alright. Frantically he beat against the wooden frame of the door to his cell and shouted out to anyone that might hear him, but it was all in vain. No one came, and only the echoes of his own voice were there to keep him company as he prayed that his godson was safe.

Time slowly passed by until finally there was a click at the door and it slowly opened. Albus Dumbledore was the first to enter followed by Severus and the Minister of Magic.

"Is Harry alright?" He shouted as he stepped closer to Severus.

"He's fine, Black." Snape answered in his usually unpleasant tone, and Sirius knew he was in deeper trouble than he had thought.

"I'll call for the dementors right away!" Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, seemed almost giddy as he spoke and Dumbledore brought his hand up to stop him.

"Sirius Black will be held here until we know exactly what happened out there."

"Nonsense, Albus! Leave him for the dementors and be done with it!"

Severus cast a solemn glance at Sirius and the other wizard lowered his head. "As long as Harry is alright, I don't care what you do with me, Fudge."

Fudge balked at Black's words and quickly turned to leave. Severus followed, nodding briefly to Dumbledore and Sirius before he did so.

Once both wizards were gone, Dumbledore spoke again. "Severus has told me what happened. I'm afraid there is little I can do to stop Cornelius from fetching the dementors for you."

"As I said, as long as Harry is alright it doesn't matter."

"Well I don't believe your godson would appreciate losing what little family he has so soon after finding you. Besides there is much left to be done if we are to be prepared." Albus paused and Sirius raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Prepared for what?"

"I believe you know. Things have already been set in motion, and we will need your help if we are to stop Voldemort once and for all." The older wizard seemed to sparkle as he spoke and Sirius couldn't help but shake his head.

"I don't see how I can be of much help, especially since I'm locked up in this tower, with Fudge ready to bring the dementors in here."

Dumbledore glanced a the window and smiled. "Look to the sky for your answers."

With that he turned and walked out of the room, leaving Sirius even more baffled than he was moments before.

-----

Slowly Daniel opened his eyes and let out a soft groan as the pain in his head began to dissipate. Awkwardly he blinked and pulled himself to his feet, trying to get a feel for his surroundings. The sound of a hoof tapping on the ground made him turn and just beside him was the same unicorns from a few days before. Looking around he could see Carter and Teal'c just starting to stir and he smiled. Turning back to the unicorn he nodded.

"Thank you." He whispered the words and the creature seemed to smile back at him and then slowly the unicorns lowered their heads and turned to leave.

"To whom were you speaking, DanielJackson?" Teal'c's booming voice caught the archeologist unawares and he spun around.

"Um…it doesn't matter." Daniel sighed realizing that neither Carter or Teal'c was able to see the unicorns as he was. "Where's Jack?"

Both men turned around and saw Jack's limp form lying in the grass just ahead of them. Carter had already gotten up and was kneeling next to him.

"Colonel? Can you hear me?" Her voice pleaded with him, but the vacant expression on his face worried her. "I don't know what's wrong with him."

"Jack?" Daniel knelt beside Carter and brought his hand down to Jack's face. He was still breathing, but he appeared catatonic to the three of them. "We have to get him to the school. They may be able to help."

Teal'c reacted first and pulled the Colonel into his arms and they started off towards the school as quickly as they could.

-----

Quietly Severus made his way up the steps leading to the tower where Sirius Black was being held. He had no idea what Dumbledore had planned, but he did as he was told and went to check on things. As he neared the door he heard a commotion and hastened his pace. His hand touched the doorknob and he pushed his way inside, just in time to see Sirius climbing out the window. For a brief moment he thought Sirius was trying to kill himself, but the sound a child's voice caught his attention and he ran towards the window. He could see the back of Sirius' head as he rode off on what appeared to be a hippogriff, and what Severus could see was two children in front of him. Shaking his head he turned to leave, and as he got to the door Albus stepped in front of him.

"I take it they accomplished their mission?"

Severus rolled his eyes and pointed towards the window. "I would think so."

"Good. You'd better run along and inform the Minister that our prisoner has escaped." He tried to his smile, but the curious grin on Albus face kept him from it and he chuckled softly as he walked past Dumbledore and back down the steps.

As he reached the bottom step he noticed the next flight of stairs begin to move and he bit back a curse, knowing he would now have to take the long way down to the infirmary where Minister Fudge was waiting. He'd barely gotten there when he saw Professor McGonagall running towards the entrance to the castle.

"What's the matter, Minerva?"

The witch shrugged her shoulders. "There are four strangers pounding on the door."

She started back on her way, and Severus followed her, curious to find out who it was. They reached the door moments later and a frantic voice met them as they pulled the heavy oak doors open.

"Please! You have to help us! He's hurt!" A young man shouted as he pointed to a rather large black man holding a limp figure in his arms.

Severus cast a glance at both men and the woman beside them, and then at the unconscious man they were trying to help. He gasped loudly as he recognized who it was.

"JACK!" His hand went out to touch Jack's forehead and Minerva stopped him.

"You know this man, Severus?"

"It's Jack Corrigan, Minerva." She paused a moment and took a closer look at the pliant man being held up in the black man's arms and he instinctively brought her hand to her mouth.

"Heavens it is. What happened?" McGonagall turned to the other three who she didn't know and waited for a response.

"The dementors…you have to help him…please." The younger man's voice pleaded with them and Minerva motioned for them to follow her.

They did so without hesitation and didn't stop until they reached the hospital wing. All of them plowed through the door, startling Madam Pomphrey and the others already in the room as they did so.

"What's going on, Professors?" The healer asked as she stepped closer to the seemingly frantic group.

"The dementors may have gotten to this one." Minerva pointed to Jack as he was being placed on an empty bed.

"It's Jack!" Madam Pomphrey exclaimed as she got a good look at the new patient before her and she turned to Snape and McGonagall for confirmation and they nodded quietly. With that she was quick to begin checking him over, shooing everyone away as she went to work.

Albus moved closer to the ones who had brought Jack into the castle and extended his hand. "I'm Albus Dumbledore, and you are?"

"Daniel Jackson." The younger man answered as he took the wizard's hand and firmly shook it, and then just as quickly he turned to his friends. "This is Samantha Carter and Murray. We're friends of Jack's."

"I gathered as much, though I must ask…What are you all doing here?"

Daniel sighed as he shifted his gaze from Albus to his teammates. "We came here with Jack."

Sighing Dumbledore motioned for all of them to leave the room so that Madam Pomphrey could work on her patient without being disturbed by their noise and they all retreated to the headmaster's office to talk.

-----

Several hours went by where Daniel and the others talked to Dumbledore and a rather irate Cornelius Fudge about who they were and what they were doing at Hogwart's. Fudge was ready to have them sent away, but Teal'c's stern expression made the wizard back away cautiously. Albus had calmed things and sent the four of them to the hospital wing where Madam Pomphrey was still fervently working on Jack.

As they entered Daniel saw Severus standing quietly by the door, a few beds away from where Jack was lying. The poor man looked distraught, and the pain was clear in his eyes as he took in a shaky breath.

"He'll be alright. He has to be." Snape turned his head to see Harry half-smiling at him.

"Shouldn't you be checking on your friend, Potter." The tone of his voice made the boy shrink back and he nodded, slowly walking back to the other side of the room.

As soon as he'd seen the hurt look on Harry's face, he knew he'd been wrong to snap at him. If anything happened to Jack, Harry would feel just as guilty. Jack had tried to save Harry, his nephew, and by all rights Severus' nephew as well. Sighing heavily Snape shook his head and sat down on the edge of the bed in front of him.

Daniel's voice caught him off guard and he looked up at the man quite confused. "The kid was only trying help."

"It's Daniel right?" Daniel nodded. "I don't see how this is any of your concern, so I'll thank you to keep your nose out of other people's business."

With a snort Daniel rolled his eyes. "I didn't believe Jack when he said you weren't very sociable, but I guess he was right."

At the mention of his brother's name Severus gaped. "What are you talking about?"

"Jack told me about you. Said you didn't do too well with people."

Severus smirked and shook his head. "My brother always did have an abnormally large mouth."

Daniel chuckled and Severus motioned for him to take a seat beside him. As he did so, Teal's and Carter also stepped into the room.

"Do you think he'll be alright?" Daniel asked and Severus looked away, making Daniel and the others feel a bit nervous.

"I honestly don't know. If the dementors succeeded in their kiss…" He spit the last word out as thought it were the vilest of things and looked up at Daniel and the others. "If they managed it, there will be little any healer can do for him."

"What about a doctor? We have physicians back home that might-" Carter spoke up from her silent position near the wall, and Severus hand quickly cut her off.

"Muggles won't be able to do anything. Without a soul he's as good as dead."

Teal'c nodded solemnly, but there was a tinge of anger in his eyes as he looked towards the bed where is comrade helplessly lay. Daniel and Carter shared the same expression as their teammate as they too glanced in Jack's direction and silence took over them as they waited for Madam Pomphrey to inform them of her patient's prognosis.

It was several minutes before the healer stepped away from her patient to let the others know what was going on.

"I'm afraid there's little we can do for him. The dementors did performed the kiss on him. I'm dreadfully sorry." Madam Pomphrey solemnly lowered her head as Daniel and the others shook theirs in response.

"There has to be something we can do. Anything?" Daniel was desperate as he raised his arms in frustration.

"I am sorry, Daniel. I know he was a friend to you all." The healer's sincere expression did little to comfort him or the others.

"This can't be happening." Carter stared in disbelief as she approached her CO's limp form.

She took his hand in hers and he felt cold. His eyes were open as though he were watching them, but he did not move. There was a steady pulse, but his pale clammy skin was almost like ice. A tear rolled down her cheek as he let his hand go and stood up.

Daniel looked to Teal'c who would have generally been the team's strength, but the jaffa appeared almost lost as he too stared down at Jack's motionless body.

"O'Neill is not dead?" The jaffa's words came out as unsteady as they'd ever heard him speak.

Madam Pomphrey sighed and shook her head. "Not in the physical sense, but his soul is gone. His body is merely an empty shell."

The three of them were silent as Madam Pomphrey moved around them and went to check on the others that were in the room.

"What are we gonna do, guys?" Daniel tried to sound like he was in control, but he was failing miserably.

"I don't know Daniel. We could take him back to the SGC. I know they said there isn't anything they can do, but we could try."

Daniel wanted to agree with Carter, but his heart told him that no one at the mountain would be able to help. He turned to Teal'c and the big jaffa lowered his head.

"I do not know what the appropriate choice would be. It distresses me to see O'Neill this way. He is a warrior, and would not approve of being left in this manner."

With a sigh Daniel nodded. They all knew that Jack would rather die than be a vegetable as he was, but at the moment there was little they could do. Silently Daniel cast a glance at Jack and then he was drawn across the room where Harry was sitting with his knees up to his chest. He eased his way towards him, and the boy looked up at him once he was just in front of him.

"What do you want?" Harry's voice was full of pain and Daniel reached out a hand and put on the boy's shoulder.

"Just wanted to see how you were doing. He is your uncle after all."

Harry's eyes widened in surprise and he nervously glanced in the direction of Jack's bed. "This is all my fault."

"No it's not. Jack wanted to protect you. He would have done anything to make sure you were alright."

"If I hadn't gone after Sirius, he wouldn't have had to protect me."

A tear rolled down Harry's cheek and Daniel instinctively wiped it away. "He probably still would have been there trying to protect Sirius. Jack never leaves anyone behind."

Harry nodded with a look of understanding on his face, but Daniel could still see the guilt in the young man's eyes.

To both their surprise Severus stepped up behind them and spoke. "Daniel's right. Jack would have gone after Sirius whether you'd been there or not. It's just not in his nature to leave anyone."

The three of them stared at one another in silence, neither of them sure what to say. Suddenly the door to the hospital wing opened and Albus Dumbledore walked in. He had a few words with Madam Pomphrey and then moved to where Severus and Daniel were standing.

"I am sorry, Severus. You're brother did not deserve such a fate."

Severus nodded. "Thank you headmaster. I'm afraid now we're all at a loss as to what to do with Jack now."

Albus sighed and then looked towards the door. "I believe there may be a possibility for you."

Curiously, the three of them turned and were surprised to see Firenze standing quietly in the doorway. The Centaur nodded his head and slowly entered the room. Carter and Teal'c were quite entranced by the creature and stared open-mouthed at him as he came closer.

"May I see him?" Firenze looked to Severus and then Dumbledore before proceeding towards the bed.

He leaned down and placed his hand on Jack's forehead. For a moment he was still and quiet, and the others were almost disturbed by the Centaur's immovability as he listened to Jack's breathing.

"With your permission, I would like to take him into the forest."

"What?!" Daniel and Carter practically shrieked at the Centaur, but he stared back at them calmly.

"If there is hope for him, my brothers and I will find it."

Daniel turned to Severus who was resting his hand on Harry's shoulder, looking as though he was too afraid to speak.

"It is up to his family to decide." Dumbledore was the first to speak up and Firenze bowed his head and moved away from Jack.

Severus took in a slow breath and looked down at Harry. The boy looked back at him with a unsure expression on his face.

"Do you truly believe the Centaurs can save him?" The question left the potion master's voice as barely a whisper as he looked the frail body of his brother a few feet from him.

"I cannot say for certain, Severus. If given the chance we will do all that we can."

For a moment Severus looked around the room and then back at Harry.

"He tried to save me. If there is a chance that they can do something…" Harry's voice trailed off and Severus knew that he had to let Firenze try.

"Do what you can, Firenze."

With that the Centaur and Madam Pomphrey went about getting Jack ready for Firenze to transport back into the forest.

"Are you sure this is the right thing?" Daniel asked as he took a step closer to Severus and Harry.

"I really don't know, Daniel. I realize you three are my brother's friends but if there's even the slightest possibility that they can help him…well, some chance is far better than none." Severus looked at the three companions and they nodded to him in understanding.

Several minutes later, Daniel and the rest of SG-1 watched motionless as their team leader was carried away by the Centaur. They cast a glance out the window to see him being taken into the dark of night, as his body slipped into the shadow of night, their hearts sank. Silently they each hoped that that would not be the last time they saw their friend, but an ominous feeling swept over them and they couldn't help but think that was a distinct possibility.


	25. Chapter 24

…Epilogue…

General Hammond sat behind his desk calmly listening to his flagship team relaying the events of the previous few weeks in as much detail as they could muster. At first he'd thought it was all a lie, but as he watched the emotions play on each of their faces, he realized that they were in fact being as honest as they could. It all seemed so bizarre and yet when it came to SG-1 he'd learned to expect the unexpected, whether he understood it fully or not.

"You do realize this is a lot for me to swallow?" Hammond's voice bounced off the walls as SG-1 nodded quietly in response. "Where exactly is Colonel O'Neill?"

"He was taken into the forest to be helped. So far nothing has come of it, but the Centaurs seem hopeful that they're close to bringing him back." It was just like Daniel to sound optimistic when everyone else despaired.

Sighing the General dismissed the rest of SG-1 and once they had left his office he rested his head on the desk in front of him.

This was by far the wackiest story he'd ever heard, and considering SG-1's record that was quite impressive. Now all he had to do was come up with an explanation that the president would buy, as to why the second in command of the world's most top secret base is 'unavailable' to complete his duties…There really were days when he wished he'd retired like a normal person.

Outside Jack O'Neill's home three days later…

"Daniel?" A familiar voice called out and the archeologist nearly jumped out of his seat as he looked up from the book he was reading on the back porch.

"Where have you been?" Daniel asked as he retook his seat.

"Still hiding. I wanted to check in to see how Jack was doing. I sent an owl to Severus and Harry, but neither of them has responded."

"I don't know what to tell you, Sirius. The Centaurs aren't any closer to getting him back. They're still convinced that his soul is intact, but they can't seem to get him to wake up."

The wizard sighed and shook his head in frustration. "He saved my life, and Harry's too. Why did this have to happen?"

It was Daniel's turn to sigh and he reached out a hand and touched Sirius' shoulder as the wizard sank to the floor beside him.

"I've spent the last few days trying to figure that out, and I really don't know. Maybe that stuff he said in the forest was true."

Sirius buried his head in his hands. "Why did it have to be him? He's suffered so much already."

Daniel shook his head and Sirius looked up at him, the pain clearly written on his face. "I haven't given up on Firenze yet. There's still a chance. You have to believe that, Sirius."

Nodding the wizard pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his head in his arms. "If only it were as simple as believing. If only."

For a moment both men looked out at the pristinely cut yard, letting their silence speak volumes between them. One man hoping for the impossible, and the other searching for the hope to believe in that impossibility.

The End…

* * *

_Well, this is the end of Secrets Undone. Throws hands up to block any rotten fruit that might get tossed my way> __I promise a sequel is in the works. Ya'll will just have to bear with me while I try to get it finished. _


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